Rise Against
by TheCherryWriter
Summary: Wizards were not to be trusted under any circumstances; they were power-hungry and corrupt. That was why they'd separated themselves from them. But now, trapped and alone in their world, Naruto will have no choice but to turn to them for help.
1. Chapter 1

Rise Against

Chapter 1: Whereabouts Unknown

The first sensation was cold.

The next was damp.

Naruto could already tell he wasn't going to like wherever he was. Breathing slowly, he listened intently for any hints of life, his nose twitching at the less than savory smell of the place. It was definitely dank, a dungeon perhaps? That seemed pretty cliché in his opinion, but he supposed a villainous fortress wasn't complete without one. And he was most assuredly sure that this was indeed a villainous fortress of some sort, because honestly, whenever one awoke to such conditions it was pretty much a given that the hosts had nothing but evil things in mind, and evil people usually came equipped with evil residences, and often instruments of torture.

Naruto wished he didn't end up in places like that so often.

Sighing deeply, he finally opened his eyes, and then promptly wished he'd just left them closed.

**PAGEBREAK**

Severus Snape was in a particularly foul mood. Now, under any other circumstances, this wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone since the surly potions master always had an air of unhappiness and discontent about him, but this was different. The source of all his rage lay in a drooling, semi-conscious heap on the floor, the blinding orange of the blonde's ridiculous jumpsuit practically blinding in its outrageous color scheme. Despite the ungainly color, he easily picked out the many shredded patches of orange, mixed with the now dried reddish-brown hue of dried blood, revealing smooth, unmarred skin underneath. Severus Snape was baffled.

And Severus Snape absolutely hated being baffled.

Hooked noses were really rather funny in Naruto's opinion. They could completely ruin one's facial features without fail. Not, he noted, that the man needed any help in that department. The sallow skin, greasy hair, and the other man's radiating sense of dislike for all other living things already made him seem rather unattractive.

"Ya know," Naruto rasped, the congealed blood in his throat making it rather unpleasant to speak," you could really use a tan, and maybe some shamp-"

"_Crucio!"_

'Wizards,' he thought almost drunkenly as his body seized up in spasms,' they really have no sense of humor.'

Snape watched in utter detachment as the blonde writhed on the floor, his small body arching up off the ground, fingers clawing at the floor until they left bloody streaks, small pieces of his fingernails breaking off in his struggles. He felt oddly removed as he observed, noting each and every reaction, the total lack of any auditory response, not even the tiniest of whimpers. The boy's face remained scrunched; eyes closed tightly, his lips bleeding from his teeth biting to deeply. He lifted his wand, ending the spell, and the boy's body sunk back to the ground, shaking uncontrollably. Snape's gaze remained unflinching even as those deep blue eyes met his in a vicious stare.

"Is that all you got you son of a bitch?"

Snape felt his lips curl back in a sneer. Not dignifying him with an answer, he merely raised his wand once more.

Harry couldn't breathe. It felt as though someone had decided to reach into his ribcage and grasp one of his lungs. He fought to breathe, what little air he could get only coming through in short, painful bursts. He clutched desperately at the carpet, curling into a ball on the floor as the seizures continued to wrack him. Hedwig hooted in alarm in her cage, wings ruffling in agitation as Harry continued to convulse on the floor.

The pain came swift and searing in his forehead, the added anguish making his vision blur and blacken randomly, spots erratically dotting his gaze. And then it was gone. His body deflated and lay there in a shuddering mass, breathing hard and labored. Weakness ran through him, and what little strength he had before the sudden attack left him with no hope of getting up anytime soon.

'Was….was that Voldemort?' he wondered weakly.

An odd vision of bright blonde hair and blue eyes crossed fleetingly into his mind before he passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Harry Potter sadly…**

'Blah'-thoughts

"Blah"-speaking

'**Blah'-Kyuubi **

Chapter 2: The Dirt Whispered

In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Ou-

"BREATHE!I CAN'T-"

The blonde floundered, flopping uselessly to the floor. His chest heaved and his eyes watered uncontrollably as he took in large gulps of air. Unfocused, his eyes slid frantically around the room, his body fluttering sporadically on the dirt floor of the cell.

"How interesting." The phrase was uttered with the fascination one would give an experiment on display, and it made Harry's skin crawl with familiarity. He felt his lips (no no, not his not hi-) open once more. "Truly, you are a most…."he stopped, paused, considered, "intriguing specimen." Harry's stomach churned at the statement. The blonde boy merely lay there (for he was a boy, he couldn't be older than-) panting, eyes glazed and pained. Harry nodded (_NO! NOT ME!VOLDEMO-) _to the Death Eater calmly waiting nearby to continue. He wordlessly raised his wand, a slim streak of red erupting from the tip and smashing against the boy.

"ARGHHHHH!"

He watched in sheer fascination (disgust, how could they do thi-) as the cutting curse sliced his arm through and through, the severed appendage dangling precariously by a thin strand of skin before snapping and unstitching completely. The blonde screeched inhumanly, blood and vomit sliding from his mouth and (his arm, oh god stop, stop, STOP-) the now useless limb lying next to him in a pool of body fluids. The silence was only broken by the boy's desperate wrenching sobs, and the audience of two waited and watched in bated silence.

It slid out slowly, the red swirl of energy seeming to caress the dismembered arm before winding around it fluidly and dragging it back to its host's body. They watched as the bone cracked back together, the veins and capillaries matching up, the muscles and skin knitting and stitching together to leave nothing but tanned, smooth skin in its wake.

"Absolutely fascinating."

Thousands of miles away, one Harry Potter awoke on the floor of his bedroom before stumbling blindly into the bathroom and retching.

**PAGEBREAK**

'**Wak….'**

Naruto groaned, curling pathetically into a ball, cradling his arm gently. His body throbbed, his eyes burned, and the pain in his arm was excruciating.

'…**.p you pathetic lit…."**

He curled in on himself even tighter; desperately wishing the dirty floor would simply swallow him up completely. His once prized orange jumpsuit hung on him in ugly, stained tatters, and his once blue sandals were a disgusting, slimy colored gray from weeks spent in filth. He reached up, hands shaking, and rubbed remorsefully at the spot where his headband had been. Tears of frustration gathered in his eyes, and he scrubbed away at them angrily.

'Stupid-Stupid-Stupid!'

'**Finally, something we can both agree on.' **

The Kyuubi's mocking voice sent another stab of white-hot anger through him, and his eyes, unseen by anyone else, flickered red.

'Shut the fuck up, you sorry excuse for a demon!'

'**Impudent mortal! It's your fault in the first place that we are even here, you useless bag of flesh!'**

Naruto's lips curled back in a soundless snarl, his nails digging almost painfully into the floor. In his mind's eye, he could see the giant fox pacing restlessly around his cage, long tails thrashing in irritation, thick ropes of saliva dripping from his massive jaws. He looked like an overgrown cat that had gotten water thrown on him. Naruto didn't hesitate to tell him so.

'**This is no time for jokes you foolish child! We are TRAPPED!'**

Naruto felt his hackles rise. 'Don't you think I know that you mangy flea-bitten fur bag? I'm quite aware the situation we're in asshole!' Kyuubi's tails flailed even harder.

'**Don't you DARE take such a flippant tone with ME child!'**

Naruto sighed, the demon's irritation causing his already painful headache to increase.

Restlessly, he ran his the fingers of his good arm through his blood-matted hair, cringing slightly as he came across thick lumps of blood and knotted hair. Sighing, he slumped back, unmoving once more on the ground, staring desolately at the ceiling above him. It was cracked and crumbling, loose particles of dirt drifting down every now and then, coating him in a light layer of dust.

'Kyuubi,' he whispered, 'are we going to die?'

The great fox didn't reply.

**PAGEBREAK**

Harry Potter whimpered as he threw up for a third time, the vision of the boy's severed arm scorched into his mind. Huffing with exhaustion, he dragged himself away from the porcelain bowl, slumping against the wall, his entire frame shuddering. He'd broken out in a cold sweat, and his body tingled with fatigue, the last feelings of nausea clinging to him fiercely. He whimpered again, pulling his knees up against his chest and curling his arms around them. He was unsure how long he just sat there, the dream playing over and over in his mind, and each viewing left him feeling sicker than the last. After what felt like hours he finally rose, his legs wobbling as he made it back to his room. He sunk into the desk chair, fumbling for parchment and a quill.

He stared blankly at it for several moments, unsure how to put it down in words. He certainly couldn't just say: _"Dear Sirius, terribly sorry to bother you, but I just watched a boy no older than myself get his arm cut off and then saw it miraculously reattach itself." _Yes, Harry was sure that would go over well. Exhaling deeply, he rubbed the bridge of his nose, the nose of his glasses having started to dig in painfully. 'Not as painful as having your arm ripped off…' the thought came unbidden, and the queasy feeling he now associated with the memory returned forcefully. Grasping the quill firmly, he tried to convey the dream as best as he could.

Several failed attempts later, Harry finally had it. Gently tying it to Hedwig's outstretched leg, he carried her to the window, and watched mournfully as she glided away, the grim contents of the letter plaguing him even as she sailed out of sight.

Reviews are welcome


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: still no owning in my general vicinity**

**Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed so far :3**

**And to sertry: this is taking place in 5th year for Harry Potter and co. **

**Naruto: 16**

**So now, on we go**

Chapter 3: Blood to Bleed

It felt like a Wednesday. Naruto generally liked Wednesdays; they were right smack dab in the middle of the week, the halfway point. He liked to think Wednesday was the halfway point for this whole damn mess.

He leaned against the wall and stared unblinkingly at the ceiling, his eyes idly tracing imaginary patterns into the crumbling rock. He was right in the middle of depicting a mental battle between the specs of the ceiling with the wayward pebbles of the floor when the heavy, familiar footfalls reached his ears. The usual hissing of the seal to the door being deactivated seemed to scream in his ears, and he closed his eyes, steeling himself. His teeth ground together, his hands curled into loose fists, and his ears rung with the heady silence that always preceded the snake's orders.

He felt the man's, if you could even really call him that, presence settle over him like a layer of slime, overwhelming and stagnant. He stood over him, his red eyes heavy on his form, and Naruto strained to keep from making eye contact. A bony white hand slid into his view, the cold touch lifting his stubborn chin to meet his eyes. The slim white wand tapped almost thoughtfully against his temple.

It happened so fast.

The hissed word, a word he couldn't even begin to comprehend, flooded his brain, and the feeling of an intruder in his mind overwhelmed all his senses. It was the halting feeling of overbearing, utter wrongness. He gasped. His pupils dilating and he could see it now, fast and furious like a rapid movie, the images flashing in and out of focus, the lips moving comically fast.

_Alone, he was all alone. The hate burned, their eyes burned. And why, why oh why didn't they lov-_

_He was eight, and his hands stung with the rough gravel embedded in his palms. Through tear-filled eyes, he looked aghast at the man standing over him, the hard eyes, and the cruel curve of his mouth. His hands seemed to move in slow motion, the glint of kunai unmistakable. And Naruto's hearts beat faster, faster, faste-_

_He was ten, it was dark, and the large shinobi dragged him into the abandoned alley, his pants already halfway unzip-_

_Haku's ice mirrors glittered deadly in the mist, and Sasuke, oh Sasuke, the senbon sticking from his neck like a macabre necklace and-"Why-why did you save me?" "My body just moved." And he was falling, rage, rage, rage, red, so much red, the mask falli-_

_Orochimaru's fingers slamming into his stomach, the glowing blue digits branding themselves to his seal, and pain, oh Kami it hurt so ba- _

What little had been in Naruto's stomach ended up on the floor.

His eyes moved unsteadily around the room, the movements frantic. The small world that was his prison shifted in and out of focus, and he belatedly realized he had somehow ended up face down on the floor. He rolled over, his stomach churning nastily; threatening a repeat performance as his head pulsed and throbbed in further disagreement to the sudden movement. Rough hands suddenly grasped his wrists, and he recognized the reeking scent of one of Voldemort's seemingly countless cronies. The course press of rope snapped his mind to complete attention, and he futilely tried to struggle. But his body was sluggish from the mental onslaught, and he lay there like a particularly worthless sack.

Extreme nervousness coursed through him, apprehension building up until he thought it might start oozing from his very pores. They'd never restrained him before, and the fact that they were starting now left a bitter taste in his mouth. The sharp click of heels alerted him to another's approach and the feminine scent of an over-used perfume wafted into his nostrils. The shrill, cackling laugh filled him with trepidation.

"Ah, Bellatrix, how lovely of you to join us." The sinking feeling in his stomach couldn't have been a coincidence.

Three grueling hours later, Naruto lay crumpled on the floor. His still bound hands bled freely, the hot, wet blood clinging to every inch of skin it slid down. The gooey feeling of it congealing in his hair was sickening, and he cringed as he felt his nails growing back crookedly in his nail beds. A particularly sharp jolt of pain streaked through him, and he clutched his broken, though quickly healing, ribs in desperation. He blearily opened his eyes, glancing down and watching in disgusted fascination as his right ankle turned itself back in the right direction, and the red, sinewy muscle of his left calf was slowly covered by new skin. He tenderly licked the skin of his raw, chapped lips, wincing as he felt several of his teeth sprouting up in the formerly empty gaps. The cartilage in his nose shifted and groaned, forcing itself back in the proper place.

He groaned once more, this time in relief, the echoing ache of his healing wounds nothing but a ringing in his exhausted body. Trembling, he lay back on the ground, trying o move as little as possible. The fox's weary voice resounded like a gong in his ears.

'**To put it in crude, human terms- we are screwed.'**

Despite himself, he felt a grin slide over his face, and he licked the blood coating his teeth.

'I couldn't agree with you more.' They fell silent once more, Kyuubi sending out a gentle thrum of comforting chakra (as close to comforting as demonic chakra can be) into his host's body. The boy's sigh of gratitude was enormous.

'**Sleep brat, you'll need it for tonight.'**

He didn't argue, his eyes already closing. He awoke several hours later to hushed, scattered voices.

"…..amazing….ecooperating…..nothing we've ever seen….ould utilize th-"

Naruto tried to ignore the conversation going on above him. He clenched his eyes closed until he felt as though his eyelids might rip apart with the strain. The bits and pieces that reached his ears were nothing he wanted to hear, and he wished he could slap his hands over them to block them out further. Their disjointed words rang loudly in his to sensitive ears, and tears, he was ashamed to realize, began to prick at his eyes. His hands struggled against their bonds in automatic reflex to brush them away. The renewed struggles earned him nothing more than the slick slide of blood pooling between the rope and his palms, dripping and settling in his fingernails. He winced, the already sensitive and newly healed skin chaffing. But already he could feel the fox's chakra twining around it, looping effortlessly beneath and above the skin, stitching it back together. For just a moment, he wished the damn creature would just leave them be.

'Maybe they wouldn't be so interested in us then.' He thought snidely.

'**Priss all you want boy, if you'd rather I leave you with infection and decay, just say the word**.'

Naruto snarled wordlessly, before sighing and leaning against the rough wall of his cell. It was practically a hovel, the low, sloping ceiling lending a feeling of almost constant claustrophobia and the smell…Naruto wrinkled his nose at the overall pungent odor that permeated the entire cave, making his stomach turn slightly. 'Ya know, since they find us so utterly interesting, you'd think they'd at least spring for some nicer housing.' His small attempt at humor went ignored by the great fox in his stomach, and Naruto sighed once more.

He did a lot of sighing lately.

It was the noise that woke him first. Then the smell. It was the acrid stench of burning flesh, and it wafted through the holding center. He was on his feet in seconds, barely maintaining balance with his awkwardly bound arms. He stood defiantly in the center of his cell, fighting the sudden wave of weakness that flooded him upon standing. He growled as menacingly as he could in his current state. A distant sound of shouting and crashes met his ears. He curled his lips back into the most fearsome snarl he could manage, trying hard to look as threatening as possible as the clatter of hurried footsteps lumbered down the stairs.

There was a sudden flash of bright pink hair and he felt his heart stop.

Tonks hammered down the stairs, heart pumping and legs straining to keep her upright. The stairs panned out into even ground and she stumbled in surprise, landing face first on the cold, unforgiving ground. "Ugh…Dammit all…" A sharp intake of breath had her head snapping forward, meeting the equally stunned gaze of a rather slim blonde. He seemed to deflate upon seeing her, an odd word that sounded vaguely like "akura," slipping past his lips. Jumping to her feet, she approached him cautiously, wand firm in her sweaty grasp. His cell door was made of rather weak looking metal, the hinges rusted and crackling and the entire structure looked as though it could fall apart at any moment. Her brows furrowed in confusion, and she walked forward, hand cautiously outstretched to touch the bars.

"DON'T!"

The shout had her jumping back, eyes snapping to the imprisoned blonde. He looked like he'd been here awhile. His face was all sharp angles, his emaciated skeleton clothed in a barely clinging orange jumpsuit of some kind. His hair was matted with blood and gore, his nails jagged and rough. Three thin, long whisker-like scars tattooed each cheek, and his almost frail looking limbs shook just from standing. His startling blue eyes however, stared at her with a surprising clarity and alertness. When he spoke his voice, from screaming she had no doubt, came out in a throaty rasp.

"The seal….you have to destroy the seal…"

His words had a certain stiffness to them, as though he wasn't used to speaking English, and an accent definitely colored his speech. She scanned over the bars, and she was shocked when she saw a thin piece of paper stuck to the outside of the bars, she wondered how she'd missed it in the first place. She raised her wand.

"_Accio paper!"_

Nothing happened.

She cleared her throat nervously. "Wouldn't uh…happen to have any idea what kind of spell they have on this door would ya?" The blonde sent her a weary look, and despite their current predicament, she felt a hot flush take over her face, and her hair began to change accordingly to a bright, cherry red. He jumped, taken aback by the sudden change but said nothing. The silence reigned for several beats.

"Burn it off." Tonks swallowed nervously before nodding.

"_Incendio!" _The paper sizzled, black edges curling and smoking before dropping uselessly to the floor, the blonde stared at it in absolute wonder, a furrow appearing between his slender brows as he looked at it. Tonks reached forward, grasping the handle, and with a mighty heave she hefted it open, the resounding creak sending a streak of fright through her. When no footsteps accompanied the loud noise, she motioned hurriedly to the blonde. He stepped out shaking, his legs wobbling and she hurried to support him, quickly slicing through his tied wrists before easing him to the ground. She watched him uncertainly, biting her lip undecidedly before coming to a decision.

"I want you to wait for me here, I will come back for you once it's all clear. I promise." She squeezed his shoulder in what was meant to be a reassuring gesture but he didn't respond. Standing and rushing back up the stairs, she cast him one more worried glance, before slipping out the door and rejoining the fray. He stayed there for all of ten seconds before rising slowly off the floor, stumbling up the stairs. The unmistakable sounds of battle filtered through his ears, and he paused to watch as multicolored streaks of light flitted through the air. Then, he melted into the shadows.

'**Just leave the damn them.'**

'No one asked for your opinion on this bastard fox. This is none of your business.'

'**I beg to differ you brat, your life happens to be my business. Especially if you get your fool self killed right on the cusp of rescue!'**

'I'm NOT leaving without them!'

He cut their conversation off viciously, turning his attention back to the maze before him. Grumbling, he shredded off another piece of his already tattered jumpsuit as he continued down the hall. He moved slowly, his aching body hindering him every step of the way. 'It's like there isn't a door in this goddamned place!' Sharply turning the corner, a foul stench hit him full in the face. Gagging, he spun back around, clutching his nose and pushing back the rising bile in his throat.

"I can smell you little ninja!" That slick voice could only belong to one person. Naruto grinded his teeth. Fernir Greyback. Damn. He slid back around the corner.

"Well gee, I can smell you to, y'know, it's kinda hard not to smell you, if ya tried bathing every now and then, you probably wouldn't have that problem." The man only cackled, his rancid breath making Naruto blanch and barely resist pinching his nose. He gave a low wolf whistle. "Damn man, you really offend all the senses, I'm getting a headache just looking at your ugly mug, not to mention that smell, you fucking reek!" He was the most beastly person he'd ever seen, and he prowled about like a wild animal, Naruto's eyes narrowed, like the wolf he was. He bared his teeth in an ungainly grin, feet sliding back in a loose stance, putrid tongue licking over his teeth. Naruto shifted minutely, eyes never leaving the man.

"I'm going to enjoy ripping out your throat, little ninja."

"I bet ya would Greyback." The talk was over. Without another word, Greyback launched forward, claws flashing and swiping. Naruto leaped back, flipping backwards as he charged again. He pulled his fist back, hitting the man square in the stomach, shifting back quickly he struck his knee up into his chin, a satisfying crunch following the hit. He spun effortlessly, bringing his leg up for a roundhouse kick, only to have the other's claws sink deeply into his calf.

"GAH!"

Using his claws like hooks, he spun the blonde around, his claws digging and gouging, before releasing him into a wall. The plaster cracked with the force of the throw, and he unsteadily rose to his feet, the pain in his leg almost crippling. 'Fuck, I really don't need this right now.' He sprinted forward awkwardly, jumping as high as he could, raising his other leg for a crushing kick.

WHAM.

His leg connected in a crushing blow, Greyback's collarbone shattering in an instant. He howled in rage, his slathering jaw snapping forward, clasping onto Naruto's unprotected neck. "SON OF A BITCH!" He pushed him to the ground, his hulking body almost smothering Naruto on the way down. With a scream, Naruto jabbed his fingers hard into the man's injured collarbone, pushing the snapped bone even further out of place. His jaws unhinged, Naruto's blood mixed with the other's spit stringing from his gaping maw. Naruto shifted, using his weight to change their positions. He dragged his fists back once more, pummeling the other's face in rapid, unstoppable punches. With another howl, Greyback lunged forward, shoving Naruto back into the wall, pinning him there with his powerful fists. With a roar he leaped at his throat again, stopping short just a few inches away. His ugly eyes were wide with shock, as he looked, flabbergasted, at the hand protruding through his stomach. Naruto's grimaced as he twisted his arm, ripping it back through. It came back encrusted with blood and flesh, and Greyback stumbled back, hands desperately going to his wounded stomach. He sunk to the floor, eyes wild and overflowing with hatred. "You little monster!"

Naruto smile was grim.

"You know it."

**I'm not sure I really liked how that fight scene panned out, so constructive criticism on that would be most helpful. Reviews are more than welcome. -Cherry**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: still don't own either…..**

**Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed so far.**

Chapter 4: Savior

"Gaara, you can't be serious about this." Gaara said nothing, his eyes staring down his older sister impassively. Temari cringed slightly at the look, her stomach clenching nervously, regardless of how far her brother had come in terms of control, she always felt a slight niggling doubt that managed to worm its way into her heart.

"Why not simply send others to Konoha to assist in the search? You can't just up and leave here without a moment's notice." His gaze was unwavering and his words hard as stone.

"You and Kankuro will serve in my stead." She briefly considered further argument, but the sight of the sand moving restlessly at his feet deterred her. "Leave me." She didn't budge, instead choosing to move forward. She only just caught the almost imperceptible stiffening of his shoulders and stopped, turning back and heading through the gates.

He didn't even turn around. His eyes turned hard, and his hands curled into fists. The sand moved even more agitatedly, and he gazed across the vast expanse of sand that was his village.

"I will find you."

His words rang across an empty desert, before being whisked away with the wind.

* * *

Naruto stared down at the wolf's body in a daze. The goopy blood pooled out under him like spilled paint, coating the floor around him like some demented canvas. Everything seemed so sharp, the smell of his own blood mingling with Greyback's, his own sweat and the rank odor of the other's, and he could hear the loud beating of his own heart as if it was being broadcasted through speakers. The dim hallway seemed to explode with light and color and suddenly it was almost as if he could see the individual colors of every grain and rock in the walls and floor. He stumbled back, hand flying to his neck.

It came back red.

'Bleeding….I'm…I'm still bleeding…'

His vision swam and his legs gave out from under him, his suddenly clammy hands grasping weakly at the ground. 'Kyuubi…what..?' the fox's voice sounded like it was being projected through jello.

'Wha…? Ca...Can't hear you…'

'**UP! GET UP! YOU HAVE TO MOVE DAMMIT! MORE ARE COMING!' **Naruto cried out, hands flying to his abused ears. He rose, blindly stumbling down the hall, before a sharp pain lanced up his leg. He looked down, and was greeted with the sight of blood continuing to gush from his calf. His entire body screeched to a halt, his eyes widening in disbelief. "My leg…" His body felt sluggish, weak. He fumbled for the wall, leaning heavily against it as his body threatened to give out once more. 'Keep going…hafta…keep going…' he moved slowly along the wall, his eyes watering and blurring through the combined pain in his leg and neck. Trembling, he kept moving, fast as a snail, the pain in his body intensifying with every breath. His nostrils flared, and he came to a halt, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. Despite the pain, he smiled.

'I smell me.' He continued down the hallway, his nose guiding him until he finally came across a door. 'Heh, it's about damn time.' He staggered forward, hand connecting with the knob, and almost bit his tongue off. Electricity jolted up his arm, and he could already smell the singed skin of his hand.

"Ugh, you've got to be kidding me…"

'**Brat, we're running out of time. Just leave them, they can be replaced.' **Even as he said the words, he knew they wouldn't reach his stubborn host.

Naruto closed his eyes, the rage crashing through him like a maelstrom. He gingerly touched his forehead, missing the familiar weight, his other delicately caressing the spot on his neck where a chain had hung.

His eyes glowed red and slitted when he opened them.

'No they can't."

* * *

Tonks' breath came out painfully labored as she limped down the stairs, her muscles screaming in protest with each move. The careful footsteps of her team filled her with unbridled relief, especially when a strong arm caught her as she once again tripped. She flashed Kingsley a grateful smile, his dark face stretching into a weary one in response. "We're almost out." His deep voice sent a thrill of relief and comfort down her spine, and she was thankful once more that the older, more experienced man was with her. A muffled curse reached her ears and she turned back, watching as Bill Weasley righted himself clumsily on the winding staircase. The strong hand of Remus Lupin found its way on his shoulder, steadying the young man further. Even at a time such as this, she felt her heart give a slight thrum of warmth just at seeing him.

She turned away, leading them further down. "This boy," Bill began, and she noticed there was a slight worried tone to his voice, "are we sure he's a prisoner?" She nodded, "Without a doubt. When you see him you'll know what I mean."

They reached the ground floor, and a jolt of panic went through her when she didn't see him. She spun around eyes flitting furiously around the room. A giant sigh of ease left her as she saw him slumped over in a corner, his wane face cracking in a painful looking smile, his dirty hand giving them a mock wave. "I hope this means we can finally leave." And well, if she noticed that he seemed even more tired than when she left, or that he seemed to have accumulated more blood on his person, she paid it no mind.

* * *

'**The wolf is staring at us.' **Naruto swallowed anxiously.

'Can he smell Greyback on us?'

'**He can definitely smell something; whether it's that other mangy mutt or your own ungodly odor I can't say.' ** Naruto sputtered mentally. 'Well excuse me; I can't exactly help it that we haven't been bathed since we got here.' Kyuubi chose not to deign him with a response. He simply ignored the rest of his host's blathering, instead putting all his concentration to the wound on his neck. His great mouth frowned, and a growl rose in his throat as he felt the poison already coursing through them.

Naruto cringed slightly as he felt his neck twinge in pain, his hand coming up to rest lightly on the irritated skin. It baffled him why it hadn't healed yet, even though Kyuubi had reduced the damage done to his leg. He rubbed at it, consciously aware that the other werewolf, who the woman who had introduced herself as Tonks, called Lupin was watching him intently. He moved closer to the tall redheaded man, Bill, and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible. Something that wasn't an easy feat when one was a victim being rescued.

He jumped as he felt an arm slinging itself across his shoulders, the other placing his arm around a pair of broad shoulders. He looked up, meeting the friendly eyes of Bill. "You were looking a little unsteady there mate." Naruto frowned, mate? He was pretty sure he wasn't anybody's mate. The man, seeing his confused face, didn't elaborate, only chuckling as he led the blonde over to the rest of the group that were, oddly enough, standing around a crumpled newspaper. Naruto decided he'd add it to his list of other things that made wizards incredibly strange and hard to understand.

"Alright, hold tight onto this, don't let go. This ah, might be a little unpleasant."

Unpleasant? It was a piece of pap-

He felt a rough jerk behind his navel, and fervently hoped he wouldn't end up throwing up.

Wizards must be on drugs, was his first thought when his feet finally touched the ground. His second was that he was really sick and tired of throwing up every other day. He groaned, clutching at his poor stomach, the wet asphalt pressing coolly against his hot forehead. A soothing hand pressed against his back, and the smell of wet dog assaulted his nose. "Portkeys can be very hard to handle, especially for first timers." The hands settled themselves in his dirty spikes, making calming circles as he felt his stomach kick and lurch, before emptying once more onto the street. The smell was awful. The other man hefted him to his feet, easily supporting the limp, queasy blonde. Naruto noted that he was surprisingly gentle, before a piece of paper was shoved in front of his face.

_The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve Grimwauld Place, London._

He looked around in confusion. Number 10, 11 and 13. He turned to Lupin. "But there is no number 12." He merely smiled, and a loud crunching noise reverberated all around them. Between numbers 11 and 13 the buildings began to split apart, making room for a new edition, the shiny brass number 12 gleaming in the moonlight. Naruto's jaw dropped, because he was pretty sure he'd just seen two buildings give birth to a third.

'Wizards,' he thought wearily, 'I'll never get used to them.'

They walked through a short metal gate, stepping onto a small, withered garden path that led to the front door. It groaned on its heavy hinges as it was opened, and he inhaled a mouthful of dust. Choking and sputtering, Lupin's hand returned to his back, this time roughly patting it to help subside his gasping. His eyes, stinging and watering from the choking and dust, finally readjusted and he was greeted with what was probably the most depressing house he'd ever been in.

It redefined the meaning of gloom.

Practically every single inch of the place was covered in a thick, almost suffocating layer of dust, and the dim lights provided a meager amount of light to see by. The hall was long, the walls an unattractive, peeling gray, the entire thing so narrow, he immediately felt a sense of them closing in around him. There was a long, rickety looking staircase up ahead, and just looking at it seemed to make it ancient steps groan. The smell of mothballs was unbearable, tickling his sensitive nose mercilessly. He could already feel several sneezes lining up.

"You're back! Oh thank goodness, I've been so worried!" A rather plump, motherly redheaded woman rushed forward, enveloping Bill in what looked like a bone-crushing hug. He fell back slightly under the sudden addition of another's weight, bumping into Naruto. He let out a hiss as the taller man's rough cloak brushed against his neck. The slight sound immediately drew the woman's eyes to him. They promptly widened as she took in his appearance.

"You poor dear!" Before he knew it, he himself was subject to one of her embraces, before she dragged him away, shouting out orders to the others to gather linen and food and to call someone called Poppy. He hoped for a dazed moment that she would have muffins.

He found himself being led up the same unreliable looking stairs that he'd seen when he first came in, and before he knew it, he was shoved into an impossibly soft bed. Almost immediately on contact, his eyes began to droop. The motherly woman's voice rang in his ears, "Don't worry now dear, we'll take good care of you." It was the last thing he heard before sleep overcame him.

* * *

There was some sort of commotion going on downstairs, and Harry fumbled around on the bedside table for his glasses. Sliding them on, he slipped out of bed, moving quietly across the room, bypassing a sleeping Ron. He crept out into the hallway, carefully avoiding creaky floorboards, and slunk down the stairs. He could see Tonks, Shacklebolt, Bill, and Lupin huddled together as they made their way to the kitchen. He followed silently, noting their ragged, exhausted appearances, and slow shuffling footsteps. They poured into the kitchen, slumping and sliding into the chairs, Bill and Lupin rummaging in the cabinets, bringing out food and bandages and the like.

Bill motioned for Tonks to move closer, and he tenderly began cleaning and bandaging a nasty looking cut on her shoulder. Lupin was doing the same for a cut on Shacklebolt's forearm. "That boy," Shacklebolt muttered tiredly, "we didn't even ask his name." Tonks looked up, her eyes wide with surprise; before a drained smile overcame her face and she settled her head in her hands. "You're right, I didn't even think of asking him at the time." Lupin smiled at her reaching across a comforting hand to pat her on the back. "We'll have plenty of time to ask him his name and how he ended up their Tonks. The important thing is that we got him out safely, there will be another time for proper introductions." Harry's brow furrowed, so they'd been on some sort of rescue mission. He moved forward, hoping to catch more of their conversation, when a hand landed on his shoulder. "Eavesdropping are we?" Harry spun around, his heart hammering, only to come face to face with the grinning face of his godfather. All the tension melted, and he grinned unabashedly, scratching at the back of his neck. Sirius merely chuckled, steering him away from the door and back towards the staircase. "If you're so curious, try the third door past your own. Though I'd be careful, Molly's on a rampage." With that, he left him at the foot of the stairs, joining the others in the kitchen.

With another smile, he moved quietly back up the stairs, walking past his and Ron's shared room, before stopping outside his destination. Mrs. Weasley and Madame Pomprhey moved around the room in a whirlwind of care. There wasn't a moment of rest between them as they hovered over a small figure on the bed. He craned his neck to see, but the two unknowing women seemed to constantly be in his way. a huff of annoyance escaped him and he leaned closer, freezing in place as the door gave out an ominous creek. Luck, as it usually was, was on his side and neither of the two stopped in their work. And then, finally, they moved to the other side of the room, crowding over a small table of bottles and potions, giving him a clear look at their mysterious patient. A tuft of blonde hair stuck up from beneath the blankets, a thin, tan face with three whisker-like tattoos on each cheek, and the brightest, haziest blue eyes he'd ever seen.

All the air left his lungs, his arms fell limp at his sides, and his eyes clouded over in shock.

"_The cutting curse sliced his arm through and through, the severed appendage dangling precariously by a thin of skin before snapping and unstitching completely. The blonde screeched inhumanly, blood and vomit sliding from his mouth and (his arm, oh god stop, stop, STOP-) the now useless limb lying next to him in a pool of body fluids_._"_

Harry flew back from the door as if he'd been burned.

"_They watched as the bone cracked back together, the veins and capillaries matching up, the muscles and skin knitting and stitching together to leave nothing but tanned, smooth skin in its wake." _

He blundered back down the hall, wrenching the door to his bedroom open, ignoring Ron's sleepy, confused questions. He threw himself on his bed, pulling the curtains tightly closed.

"_Absolutely fascinating."_

_

* * *

_

Reviews are welcome.-Cherry


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: -sighs- still don't own either sadly….**

**Anyway, thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed :3**

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* * *

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Chapter 5: To Them These Streets Belong

"_That punk Naruto is desecrating the Hokage monument!"_

"_Like I care…it's not like I have anyone to go home to…"_

"_Yeah, that's "the" kid. And he's the only one who failed."_

"_Well that's good; we can't have him becoming a shinobi."_

"_Iruka is the same! He actually hates you! Nobody will EVER accept you!"_

"_If I had done a better job…you wouldn't have had to feel like this…"_

"_HE'S UZUMAKI NARUTO!"_

_

* * *

_

His body burned.

It raced through him, starting from his neck, before coursing through the rest of his body. It was like liquid fire burning through his veins, alighting each blood cell with an individual flame. But he couldn't move, couldn't grasp the sheets, couldn't scratch at his skin, couldn't alleviate the pain in any way. His mouth creaked open the barest bit causing his already chapped lips to split and bleed. The salty tang of blood on his tongue made him whimper.

His eyes seemed to be glued shut and impossible to open, his eyelashes clumping together painfully. His parched throat let out another mewling cry. A sudden, hushed conversation burst into life somewhere to the left of him, and his body struggled fruitlessly to turn and listen. The shuffle of footsteps coming nearer caused him to freeze, and then a hesitant hand reached forward.

It took all his strength, but he managed to shoot his hand out, fingers grasping hard around a thin wrist. He peeled his eyes open, cursing at the forceful pull it took, and hissed at the abrupt onslaught of light. The light of the room was dizzying, and his head groaned as the entire place seemed to turn sideways. He released the wrist with a jerk, falling back limply to the bed, eyes sliding close. Already he was soaked with sweat from the slight exertion, and he tiredly swiped a trembling hand through the sweaty tresses.

"Do…do you need water?" The voice spoke softly, a current of nervousness running under their words. He managed a nod, and groaned as it made his head pound even harder. The footsteps receded slowly, before returning, and a gentle hand lifted his head, pressing the cool rim of the glass against his lips. His entire body crumpled in relief, hurriedly gulping the water down, spilling it over the edges of his mouth. Suddenly, the glass was gone, and in its place was some sort of cloth that wiped at his wet face.

"Shhh, not so fast, you'll make yourself sick." He grumbled; face craning out in search for the glass. It was pressed against his lips once more. The person's hand rested on his shoulder, rubbing circles into his sore muscles, the motion brought a haze of sleepiness over him, and his already closed eyes seemed to get heavier. They laid him back down onto the mattress, smoothing back the hair on his forehead. "I'll try to come again later."

* * *

"_In front of everyone, Kaiza was put to death by Gatou."_

"_Do you have a precious person?"_

"_No matter what situation…a shinobi must keep emotions on the inside…you must make the mission your top priority…and you must possess a heart that never shows tears…"_

"_Do you really…DO YOU REALLY NOT FEEL ANYTHING?"_

"_A shinobi is still a human…we may not be able become emotionless tools."_

"_You and I together…ARE GOING TO HELL!"_

"_You've always been by my side; I'd like to be by your side…at the end."_

"_We'll name it, The Great Naruto Bridge!"_

_

* * *

_

'Kyuu….it...it burns…'

'**I know, I know! I'm trying dammit; I'm trying to stop it from spreading.'**

'Pl…please…it hurts….can't….can't….'

The entire room was dark, and he could only just make out the vague outline of an empty room occupied by a single, equally empty bed opposite his own. A lone window cast flimsy, moonlit shadows arching across the room, revealing that he was the room's only occupant. He propped himself up on unsteady arms, mentally willing the room to stop moving. With a huff he gave up, falling back onto the bed. There was a rustling from across the room, and the sounds of a door opening. His eyes narrowed his hands automatically going down to the thigh holster that wasn't there. He cursed silently, balling his fists up so hard he felt his untrimmed nails cut into his palms.

The deep, harsher breathing of someone who was undeniably male sounded deafeningly throughout the room. He waited anxiously, the soft shut of the door ringing in his ears. His eyes strained, flicking around the room, only to be greeted with the sight of nothing and no one. His nostrils flared, the scent of someone else flooding his nasal passages. "I know you're there."

* * *

"I know you're there."

Harry froze, his footsteps faltering, eyes widening as he stared at the wild blonde before him. His blonde hair was rumpled and flat in places, random spikes of hair making a futile attempt to stick up. His starved face glowered from the dark, the usually tan pigment of his skin almost ghostly pale, making the whisker marks on his cheeks stand out even more. His eyes had an almost feral quality to them, snapping around the room restlessly, before landing sharply on his exact position. They narrowed further, the blue depths disappearing into barely there slits, and for just a moment, Harry felt like a trapped animal about to be eaten.

And then it passed like nothing, the other's eyes softening the slightest bit as he gazed at the still invisible Harry. His voice was barely audible when he spoke.

"Reveal yourself now, or I'll do it for you." He was sure the words were meant to sound threatening, but they came out tired and strained. He shifted uncomfortably under the cloak, before sliding it off his head. The boy looked like he was about to jump out of his skin at the sight of Harry's dismembered head floating through the air, and he muttered some strange word Harry couldn't understand.

He gulped, shuffling his feet as he gazed at the blonde, who weakly quirked a questioning eyebrow at him. "I…I just…." But what could he possibly say? Hi, my name is Harry, and I had dreams about you being tortured by Voldemort, wanna tell me all about it and why they're so interested in you?

Because that would just go over so well.

"Kid?"

The blonde's eyes bored into his own, making him feel even more out of place. He cleared his throat, taking a deep calming breath before plowing through.

"I know what happened to you!"

The blonde started, blinking rapidly before pinning him with an odd look. "And what do you mean by that?" But despite his casual tone, Harry could see the tightening of his fists, the slight crinkling of his eyes, the tense set of his shoulders. And suddenly the room felt absolutely suffocating, and he clawed breathlessly at his throat, his knees trembling, and then that same feeling again, like he was some poor trapped animal clawing at his cage in an attempt to flee. He slid to his knees, gasping and croaking for air, the Invisibility Cloak falling to the floor, and he dizzily noted that the blonde had gotten out of the bed, and was unsteadily making his way towards him.

Small, rough hands gripped his hair, jerking him back, and a clawed hand was pressed against his throat. "And how would you know that?" His voice, it had sounded so weak just a second ago, was now deep and harsh, and he felt a shiver go down his spine. "Well?"

His tongue felt like it was stuck to the roof of his mouth, denying the passage of words. His entire body trembled, and for one embarrassing second he was afraid he'd wet himself from the utter, overwhelming feeling of _death _the smaller boy exuded. And then, just as quickly as before, it was over, and the blonde was staggering away, clutching his neck, a choked whine rising in his throat. Harry scouted away, pressing himself to the bed, sweaty hands pulling his wand out, and God, why hadn't he done that in the first place, and pointing it at the panting blonde who'd somehow managed to move all the way across the room in a matter of seconds. The blonde, who'd already looked pale before, was positively stark white now, his body shaking with an all out tremor, desperately supporting himself on the other bed.

"I'm…I'm sorry…" Harry could do nothing but gape, his mouth working soundlessly as the blonde made move to come closer.

"Don't! Don't move!" He immediately halted, outstretched hand faltering. His entire visage seemed to visibly droop, his blonde head hanging down in shame. "I'm sorry," he repeated, "What...what you said…and I just panicked…"

Harry had never seen anyone panic like that in his entire life.

Silence pervaded the room, and neither seemed sure of what could possibly be said after that. Finally, the blonde sighed, slowly, almost hesitantly, moving toward Harry, his hands held up in a sign of peace as he moved nearer. Despite himself and the screaming of his common sense, he lowered his wand.

He slid down next to Harry, leaving a good amount of space between them, hands going up to rub at his face. "Kid…" he started, before trailing off, obviously not sure where to start.

"Harry." His blue eyes turned to him, furrowing in confusion.

"Huh?"

"My name is Harry, Harry Potter."

The blonde blinked, before a small smile slid across his whiskered cheeks.

"You can call me Hisoka*."

* * *

Sirius Black's heart felt heavy as he listened to Remus Lupin, Moony, his best friend, tell them exactly what no one wanted to hear about the blonde boy lying unconscious in one of the many upstairs bedrooms of his ancestral home.

"Can you be so sure?" Tonks whispered, her hair flitting between unimagined colors, revealing her agitation.

"I can smell it all over him."

"So is he…?" Remus frowned, the worn lines on his face becoming even more pronounced. "No, I can't be sure, it wasn't the full moon, but Greyback is so," he paused, searching for the right words, "beastly, so intertwined with his wolf, that even while he was not transformed being bitten would still have some sort of affect. Whether it's a complete transformation or not I cannot say, it's too soon to possibly tell."

Sirius sighed, squeezing his temples in thought.

"What can we do?"

The werewolf's eyes dropped to the ground, a hand rising to absentmindedly touch his shoulder.

"Nothing."

* * *

Harry wasn't sure what time it was when he finally returned to his own room, but from the light creeping in between the blinds, he must have been up half the night with the blonde.

Hisoka….

Tiredly, he sagged into bed, pulling the curtains shut, and tried to ignore Ron's loud snoring from across the room. Hisoka's blue eyes flashed across his mind, and he flushed uncomfortably as he recalled falling asleep on the small blonde's shoulder before he left, practically clinging to Hisoka like he was some sort of giant blonde teddy bear. They hadn't talked much after their introductions, silence hanging between them like an invisible wall. They'd merely sat there, uncomfortably reveling in the other's presence. What little words they had shared had been stilted and constricted. He recalled their brief conversation, and blushed at how awkward and ridiculous the blonde must have thought he was.

"_What exactly did you mean earlier?"_

_Harry sputtered, bumbling through his words as he tried to somehow piece his explanation together. It had sounded so good in front of the mirror this morning…_

_Hisoka gave him a slightly amused look, patiently waiting for Harry's face to cool down and for his tongue to untie itself._

"_I…I dreamt about you." Hisoka stared, a light blush coloring his whiskered face._

"_You…uh…had dreams about me?" Harry choked on his spit, coughing roughly, at the sudden clarification of how his words must have sounded. "NO! Gah, I mean YES, just not…not like that!"_

_Hisoka chuckled at the look on his face and his fumbling words. "Breathe Harry, I was just kidding…" If possible he blushed even harder, looking down, suddenly finding his socks incredibly interesting._

_What? They were pretty awesome socks…_

_So, studying his socks intently he told him everything, the dreams, the feelings, the sickness that curdled in the pit of his stomach whenever he pictured it. A sympathetic hand squeezed his shoulder, and he was shamed to realize that tears had started to gather in his eyes. He had no right to cry, all he'd done was see, Hisoka had had to go through it…_

"_Hey now," his voice was surprisingly kind, "there's no shame in crying."_

_As if taking cue from his words, his eyes spilled over completely, sliding down his face in rivers of salt. Hisoka's arm wound around him, pulling him close, and it was the soothing, the utter gentleness, that made him fall apart._

_

* * *

_

Naruto stayed silent as the woman with the name like the muffin bustled around the room. She clicked and clucked, muttering to herself abstract medical words to herself that he couldn't even begin to decipher. She sorted through the various bottles that she'd brought with her on a cart, separating them into individual piles in some sort of order that must have only been known to her. Finally, she clapped her hands in accomplishment, turning to Naruto with a kind but firm smile on her face.

He got the distinct feeling he wasn't about to enjoy whatever was coming.

An hour later an extremely drowsy Naruto re-estimated the level of dislike he held for all things that came in liquid form from the muffin-lady.

* * *

"_And now, we will begin the tenth question"_

"_You'll soon find out why it's called the forest of death."_

"_No, I just get excited when I see red blood."_

"_A final word of advice…DON'T DIE!"_

"_There's no way a coward like you is the Sasuke I know!"_

"_You alright, scaredy cat?"_

"_When your emotions are heightened…the power of the Kyuubi overflows…"_

_

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_**Reviews would be lovely-Cherry**

**Hisoka*-means secretive**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: sadly, I still don't own it despite my efforts**

**A note on pairings in this story: I really don't plan to include any, het or yaoi, pairings, though there might be slight undertones throughout.**

**Once more, thanks so much to everyone and their wonderful reviews. So now…**

**Enjoy :3**

**Chapter 6: Broken English**

"…_I…no longer want to run away!"_

"_You are going down!"_

"_I'm going to kill him because I want to kill him."_

"_I have a real monster in me."_

_

* * *

_

Neither of them made a sound as they moved.

The barrier pulled irritatingly at his skin but he paid it virtually no mind, instead focusing solely on the man next to him as they moved through the thick trees. His long brown hair, which was pulled back with a thick tie, flipped behind him as he leaped from branch to branch, but it was his eyes that were the real cause for fascination. The thick, ropey veins that protruded around his eyes pulsed with power, pupil-less eyes taking in their entire surrounding with a single glance. Suddenly he stopped, kneeling on a branch, body crouched and ready to spring. No words were spoken, but the sand in his gourd shifted restlessly.

* * *

'What will happen to us now?' Deep within the confines of his mind, Uzumaki Naruto crouched within the murky depths that partially made up his mind's sewer-like prison. He studied his watery reflection with a grim look. The great fox didn't reply right away, instead taking the time to observe his host. Even in his mindscape, his usually bright countenance was dim and uncharacteristic, and he would feel the root of denial taking hold if he said he didn't care. When one was stuck with someone, no matter how grating their personalities, and great Kami no matter how much damned _orange _they wore_,_ you couldn't help but grow grudgingly attached, which was exactly the predicament the ancient beast found himself in, something that was just another item to add to his continually growing list of "Why I Hate the Yondaime."

The feeling of eyes watching him made him return his wandering thoughts to the smaller blonde in front of him, and he felt a great rumble move through his body, before he hunkered down, resting his head on his enormous paws.

'**We will most certainly be affected, but to what extent I cannot know. Without doubt though, a change will occur, if only slightly. It could be something as insignificant as having a sudden preference for rarer meats or a heightening of your senses. Not that you need that with me.'**

Naruto sank deeper into the water. 'Worst case scenario?'

'**Hard to say, the fact that he wasn't in wolf form must be taken into consideration, however even without the added advantage of his wolf, the venom was still potent enough to withstand my efforts to destroy it and continues to course through your veins. We could be looking at a full-scale transition on the full moon, or even merely extreme wolf-like tendencies. Hell, with your luck brat, I wouldn't be surprised if you merely sprouted a tail and ears.' **Naruto sputtered and glared.

'That wasn't even a little funny…'

The fox sobered, gigantic eyes zoning in on his host's inconsolable face. Another sigh worked itself through his less than corporeal body, and he pushed his face closer to the bars. Naruto looked up, a look of utter hopelessness painting his face. 'What if I hurt someone?' Kyuubi sneered.

'**Don't be so foolish boy; do you think for even a second these people will leave you by yourself, especially at the** **time of your maybe transformation? I doubt they'll even leave you a window of opportunity to harm one of their pathetic own.' ** Despite the callous way of his words, Naruto felt an instant flood of relief.

'**I don't understand your worry brat. If anything you should be glad to rip them to pieces. I know I certainly wouldn't mind. Wizards and their kind are no better than your pesky shinobi, always seeking power where they have no right to tread, always a continuing irritation to higher beings.' **

Naruto smiled humorlessly, gently flicking his hand through the water.

'I supposed it's just our nature.'

His reflection rippled before fading completely.

* * *

His mouth felt like he'd swallowed several hundred sheets of paper, and every single piece had seen fit to give him a paper cut. Though the thick cloying feeling in his mouth was nothing compared to the still throbbing pain in his neck and he hissed as he reached up to finger it experimentally. Instantly he clamped down on his lip, scowling as he only served to irritate it further. It seemed that despite the muffin-lady's best attempts and many, many nasty potions and uncomfortable spells, the wound continued to fester. He didn't have a mirror, but he could already tell without one that his neck was undoubtedly bright red with infection, and the crusty feeling he felt every time he so much as turned his head was testimony to the thick scab that was beginning to form.

He noted with interest the empty room, taking in the lingering scent of the muffin-lady and Harry, and he idly wondered how long he'd been out this time. He shook his head, happy when the motion didn't bring him a splitting headache for once, and moved out of bed and to his feet. A grin split across his face as he felt the returning strength of his legs and he gladly stretched his arms, his back giving a mighty crack as he leaned down to touch his toes. 'Ah, something good at last.' He didn't think this morning could be going any better when he smelled it. The salty, heavenly tang of noodles and beef teased his nose, and his slowly returning strength seemed to return tenfold.

"Oh sweet Kami above," he whispered, words dripping with awe, "the wizards have ramen!" He zipped out of the room in a yellow flash, thundering downstairs with renewed energy, not noticing the rather perplexed and surprised curly haired brunette and a rather gangly redhead he passed in his scramble down the hallway and stairs.

Sirius Black hadn't seen someone inhale so much food in one sitting since he'd been a teenager, and he felt a melancholy grin slip unto his face as he thought of the more strenuous food challenges he and James had partaken in during their times at Hogwarts. But he had to admit, even combined; the two of them would have nothing on this kid. He watched in absolute astonishment as he plowed his way through his 5th bowl of the rather salty noodles in record time, hardly seeming to take time to breathe between bites and bowls. Looking around the table, he saw that he wasn't the only one watching. Molly Weasley looked as though she was struggling to not reprimand the boy for his atrocious table matters, while her twin sons watched with appreciative glimmers in their identical eyes. Tonks had a faintly disgusted expression on her face, flinching slightly as he gave a particularly loud and sloppy slurp. Moony's face had an exasperated look, and he had no doubt the other man was also recalling the same thing as him.

The sound of a chair pulling out beside him snapped him out of his observations and the grin on his face stretched wider as he welcomed his godson to the table. He noticed when the blonde briefly halted in his devouring of noodles, blue eyes moving quickly to Harry, and he was just as mystified to see Harry doing the same, before they both disconnected gazes, the blonde returning to his noodles and Harry tucking into a plate of hash browns and bacon.

As the blonde started on his 6th bowl, the sound of the front door opening and hurried footsteps reached them, causing a halt to everyone's action, excluding the blonde who seemed to attack his noodles with even more vigor. The flushed face of one Arthur Weasley greeted them, who immediately locked onto the blonde, who still had yet to pause in eating, and hurried over to his fussing wife, giving her a quick peck on her cheek, before he marched to the front of the table, wiping a handkerchief over his thinning hair. His blue eyes stayed strained on the blonde as he spoke.

"Dumbledore would like to speak with you."

The blonde didn't respond, tipping the bowl up to catch the last drippings of broth, before setting the bowl down, leaning back with a satisfied burp. Molly tittered in the background. However the blonde paid her no mind, instead leveling the head of the Weasley family a steady gaze.

"What the hell is a Dumblydoora?"

Though Naruto liked to think he had somewhat of a firm grasp of the English language, there were just some words that wizards used that he couldn't for the life of him figure out. Even after the painstaking years Jiraiya had taken to drill it into his admittedly thick skull, it was times like these that reminded him how little he really knew, and despite himself he felt a flush creeping up his neck. Regardless of how well he'd communicated with Harry or his bundle of rescuers, he was all too aware that that there was still a language barrier between them no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

It was then that he realized that there seemed to be an astounded silence as the results of his words, and he looked up to find nearly every occupant of the table giving him looks of utter disbelief. Except for those two redheaded twins near the end of the table, both of whom looked like they were barely holding in raucous laughter. "Ah, ahem, _Dumbledore_ is a person, our leader to be more specific." The person who'd piped up was the odd woman with the nature defying hair, Tonks, he recalled, and was giving him a rather amused look, her eyebrows turning hot orange while she spoke.

* * *

Dumbledore had the most impressive beard he'd ever seen. If it weren't for the fact that the atmosphere between them was so suffocated with tension, he would have gladly commented on it. As it was, the old man pierced him with an intense studying gaze, blue eyes shimmering with an odd twinkle. It made him uncomfortable, and he was sure it showed. He searched aimlessly for something to say, but found nothing. He silently cursed this decrepit old house and its complete lack of conversation starters. Finally, he sighed, and met the old man's gaze unfalteringly.

"What the hell do you want old man?" The old man, Dumbly, because damn he still couldn't say it right, blinked in surprise, and he got the feeling he wasn't spoken to in such a way that often. To his surprise, he started to chuckle, and it disturbingly reminded him of another old man, with a less impressive beard.

"My dear boy, there's no need for such hard words. I've merely brought you here with me to inquire as to your origins." Naruto didn't reply, eyes narrowing at the old man and his strange purple robes. "However, it is my thoughts that you are not from here at all Mister Uzumaki." He was up in seconds, across the room even faster, with a wand pointing right in the middle of his chest just as quickly. He snarled, hands once more itching to draw a kunai he didn't have and press it against the old man's feeble throat. "Now, now Mister Uzumaki, there's no need to overreact like this. Please return to your seat and I will explain as best as I can."

He stood there for a few more moments regardless, paranoia slowing his decision. Finally, he slowly backed up, eyes never leaving the man or his slender wand, and sank back into the overly stuffed armchair.

"The Sandaime was a rather good friend of mine. We met earlier in our lives during our numerous travels, and from the time spent with him, it is easy for me to identify a chakra-user such as yourself young man." Naruto's finger tightened around the arms of the chair and his voice was slightly strangled when he spoke. "And my name? How is it you know that?"

"We kept a correspondence over the years, and he spoke quite fondly of a rather mischievous blonde boy with whiskers who just couldn't seem to stay out of trouble." He paused, sending Naruto a sympathetic look. "I was greatly saddened to hear of his death."

Naruto wasn't sure what to say at that point, memories of the Sandaime flitting through his mind, and the tight clenching of sorrow around his heart was crushing. That same bone-deep sadness that coursed through him whenever he thought of him was broken as Dumbly reached out, hands going to rest on his shoulder in what he must have thought would be comforting. He leaned back, breaking contact, shoulders sagging.

"If you know so much, then do you know how to return me to my village?" His voice sounded hollow even to his own ears.

He sighed, eyes closing behind his crescent moon glasses, and Naruto got the feeling he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear. "Unfortunately my dear boy, I have never had the chance to set foot in your village, or any of the hidden villages for that matter, nor has anyone that I've ever known in my many years and travels. I met the Sandaime here in my world, and we never spoke of the location of his village, as I'm sure you understand. Our worlds are completely separated, and the fact that you have made it here is a mystery upon itself. Few people are even aware that your continent even exists, so please, it might help us greatly in getting you home, if you told me first how it is you came to be here."

Silence sang out between them, and the temperature of the room seemed to drop considerably. If Dumbly noticed, he certainly didn't speak up, but the slightly firmer grasp on his wand was a definite indication. He wasn't sure how long they merely sat there stewing in silence, but when he spoke next, his words were cold.

"I was looking for someone."

* * *

Hermione Granger often felt exasperated in the presence of one Ronald Weasley. And this time was no different as she listened to him ramble on and on about the mysterious blonde they'd seen in the hallway this morning. She chose not to comment as he continued; instead focusing on the fact that Harry hadn't spoken a word on the matter at all.

She pursed her lips, standing and moving over to where her dark-haired best friend was seated. She could already tell that he was holding something back from them, and pinning him with a stern glare, she could practically feel him falling apart. Her honey brown eyes softened slightly, and she huffed as she moved closer to him on the bed, silencing Ron with a single look.

"Something you would like to share with us Harry?"

He shifted uncomfortably, hand coming up to rub nervously over the back of his neck.

"I've uh…I've talked to him." Ron sputtered, coming to sit with them, giving Harry a betrayed look. "Why didn't ya tell us sooner mate? All this time we've been worrying over it and you haven't said a word!" Harry flushed, and Hermione sighed. "I'm sure Harry had an excellent reason to keep this from us, right Harry?"

Harry could only nod, all words dying on his tongue at the look his friends were giving him. He studied the worn pattern of the bed sheet they were sitting on, idly fiddling with a fringed hole. The burning stares of Hermione and Ron made him feel like they were giving him optical sunburn. He wanted to tell them, truly he did, but he also wanted to keep it to himself, wanted to be the only one with a connection with the odd blonde. But looking once more at their expectant faces, he knew he wouldn't be keeping it to himself any longer.

"It started over the summer…"

* * *

**Reviews are welcomed with cookies- Cherry**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: -sighs- oh if only…**

**Thanks to all my ever so lovely reviewers :3 **

**Ah yes, I know this is a little late, but I've been incredibly busy these past few weeks and haven't really had as much time to spend on it as I wanted.**

**So, without further ado, enjoy**

Chapter 7: Reception Fades

_It's raining…._

_They slid down his face in fat, heavy drops, stirring and mixing with the slim, twin streams of blood that dripped from his face. His headband felt heavy on his forehead, and with a trembling hand he dragged it down until it hung around his neck, the wet weight pressing uncomfortably close. _

_The dull thud of a blade sinking into the mushy ground sounded agonizingly close, and the slight turn of his head revealed that it was mere inches from his cheek. A joyless grin tugged at the corners of his lips and he turned his face skyward. The rain stung his eyes as it fell unbidden into his open lids before sliding slickly down his face._

"_Gonna kill me now?"_

_The other didn't reply, merely continued forward until they were kneeling down beside him, their hand coming to rest over his heart._

_The rain that fell on his lips tasted like salt._

_

* * *

_

Gaara's eyes felt heavy. So terribly heavy. The want for sleep crawled over him, battling with his natural compulsion to resist such a need, and seemed to melt into his skin like his own layer of sand. The ground seemed impossibly soft, and the dewy canopies above them seemed to give off a heady scent that thickened the air around them. The barrier pressed against him like an itch he couldn't scratch, and he turned sluggishly to Neji, the tall Hyuuga in a similar state of sleepiness. He stood slowly, legs shaking from the exertion. His eyes twitched, his hands curling into tight fists. Neji stood up next to him, the blazing, pulsing veins around his eyes coming to life. Both their chests heaved, feeling as though the air they breathed was made of thick, viscous honey. Neji's head turned to him languidly, before nodding slightly to the left of them.

"Leave one alive."

Gaara nodded, and he raised his open hand before clenching it into a tight, trembling fist.

"_Sabuka Kyuu."_

_

* * *

_

He sighed as he rested his head against the warm glass of the window, watching with longing as the unknowing Muggles down on the street went on with their daily lives. The sun shone cheerily, surrounded by fat, water-filled clouds that drifted lazily through the sky. He longed to simply lay spread out on the grass, to feel the sunlight caress his skin, to smell the proverbial roses. But no, it seemed he was permanently confined to this dreary house, and it was slowly driving him crazy.

His clothes rustled as he moved, and a small, thankful smile lit his face as he gazed down at his new clothes. During the meeting with Dumbly, the old man had presented him with a very familiar scroll. He'd stared at in shock and embarrassment. The scroll! The same one he'd taken from the base he'd been imprisoned at during his less than savory stay with the minions that the wizards had called Death Eaters. How he didn't even register its absence was mortifying. It was the same scroll he'd been captured with, holding a small but generous amount of supplies including extra clothes, food, kunai and shuriken, along with the two prized items he'd risked his entire rescue to find. His hand came up gently taking the turquoise colored gem into his tanned hands. It glimmered in the light, sparkling dazzlingly. The weight around his neck was comfortingly familiar, along with the long used to feeling of a headband around his neck. A kunai holster was securely strapped to his thigh.

The extra clothes however, were not in his favorite color. He cursed himself for letting Sakura help him pack, knowing he shouldn't have left her alone with his wardrobe. She'd packed him several of the standard blue jumpsuits that most Chunin or Jounin wore, along with his vest and extra sandals. He looked at it disdainfully, mourning for the bright splashes of orange from his original clothing, before sliding the vest back off, setting it onto the bed. A slight rustling sound from the pockets made him pause, and he reached into one of the many pockets, his hand coming into contact with paper. Unfolding it, the familiar loopy writing that Sakura always used greeted his eyes.

I know you're already complaining about the lack of orange Naruto, but suck it up. One of these days, that jumpsuit is going to get you killed. So please, you knucklehead, wear these or I'll pound you into the dirt. Come back safely baka, and I'll treat you to ramen.

Love,

Sakura

The note crinkled in his fist, and he felt the sharp prick of homesickness ring through him. Sakura, his teammate, one of his best friends, and he wasn't even sure when he'd ever see her again. The thought made his chest ache, and he reverently smoothed the note out, before delicately folding it back up and storing it back into his vest.

A sudden knocking at the door made him jump, and he spun around the door opening and a whiff of wet dog and oddly enough, honey and grass, reached his nose. The haggard face of Remus Lupin gave him a strained grin, the man's face, which was usually drawn and pale, was ashen and almost bloodless, his entire lanky frame hunched over and fragile looking. It seemed the full moon was drawing ever closer. He himself, while not suffering as Lupin was, could feel a deep-seeded unrest taking root inside, lacing through his body like ivy spreading up a wall.

The man moved forward stiffly, and Naruto felt a twinge of pity sweep through him at the exhausted man. He joined Naruto at the window, settling on the somewhat musty window seat cushions beside him. His pinched face was serious and uncomfortable.

"The full moon is only a week away now. Soon, you will have to be moved to another safe-house for you to safely undergo your transformation, assuming you have one. In the following week, as a precaution, once a day you will drink a potion known as Wolfsbane, which will allow you to keep your mind during the transformation. I will be with you the entire time to ensure your safety."

Blue eyes clashed with yellow flecked amber, and a tense silence followed his words.

"Thank you Loopy-san." The corners of the ragged man's lips quirked, amusement sparkling in his tired eyes.

"You're welcome Hisoka."

* * *

The steady drip of blood sinking into his sand was a welcome feeling. It slithered across the ground, soaking up the carnage, mindlessly snapping wands and crushing bones. The cut off screams of his victims barely registered in his mind and with an uncaring flick of his wrist the sand curled around the ankles of the last man, dragging him toward them. His face was stark white with terror, the broken remains of his wand clutched desperately in his sweaty, blood-slicked hands. His long blonde hair was littered with sticks and dirt, his pale, aristocratic features twisted in anger and fear, mouth set in a snarl of disgust.

Neji glided forward, eyes calm and the veins of the Byakugan receding, kneeling before the restrained man. He idly twirled a kunai on one finger, before throwing it, the knife embedding itself mere inches above the man's forehead, nestling in his hair. He let out an undignified squawk, body twisting and jerking in the sand's hold. The sand rose, carrying him over to a nearby tree stump, its surface wide enough to sit comfortably sit two people. It bound him there, sliding around his wrists and ankles like shackles. They stood before him, eyes cold and impassionate, and Neji reactivated the Byakugan, the bloodline blazing and causing the blonde to flinch back. The man's circulatory system came into focus, and he raised his hand, lightly tapping the man's chest.

A group of birds erupted from the trees at the sound of a high-pitched scream.

Neither man batted an eyelash.

* * *

He was thankful that this was the last day he had to drink this. The potion tasted like absolute crap. It smoked blue mist, and was as delicious as a cooked shoe. And he couldn't even add sugar to it. An entire week drinking this and he was sure that it had melted all the taste buds right off his tongue. Lupin had given him a sympathetic look after his first swallow on Monday and almost immediate gagging, making a futile attempt to placate him by telling him that after a while he'd get used to it. He would have rather lived off of ration bars and soldier pills then this.

'If it weren't for the fact that you will possibly prevent me from going on a killing spree, I'd dump you down the damn drain.' Unfortunately, one cannot easily intimidate a cup.

Not that Naruto wouldn't try anyway.

Sniggers reached his ears, and he looked up from the evil concoction steaming in his hand to meet two pairs of devilish blue eyes and matching red hair.

"You look a little down there mate, wanna help wash that down with some chocolates?" One of them held out a box of seemingly harmless chocolates, and Naruto reached out a hand before abruptly stopping. He sniffed, and a foreign smell invaded his nose wafting up from the box. Definitely not chocolate. The twins looked at him expectantly, looks of innocence plastered on their identical faces. Naruto barely bit back the urge to snort, recognizing at once the signs of someone up to no good. He'd worn the look many times himself. He arched his eyebrows at the conniving twins, plucking two chocolates between his fingers and bringing them to his mouth. As he expected, theirs eyes widened in anticipation for whatever the unknown sweets were laced with would do. A barely there smirk etched itself on his face, and quick as lightning his hands snapped forward, and the two chocolates suddenly found themselves mashed into the mouths of two incredibly startled redheads.

Immediately, bright, canary yellow feathers burst into life on their arms, beaks sprouting in place of their noses, and squeaky, chicken-like cries erupted from the pair. Naruto had to lean onto the counter for support he was laughing so hard, tears of mirth slipping down his face.

"You-ha ha- Kami…!" He doubled over, hands braced on his knees. The sound of garbled, laughing chicken noises joined his own laughter and he looked up to see the twins clinging to each other, laughing uproariously. They shared a look, a glint entering their eyes, before turning to the gasping blonde.

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the kitchen only to be greeted with the sight of what looked like a wrestling match taking place on the counter between what looked like two redheaded birds and a blonde with chocolate smeared on his face, they seriously considered going back upstairs.

"What are you _doing_?" The somewhat shrill voice of Mrs. Weasley caused everyone to freeze, the twins scrambling off the counter, dragging the rather ruffled looking blonde with them, settling him between them on the floor.

"Fred, George! I can't believe the two of you! Rough housing with this poor boy while he's still recovering for Merlin's sake! And WHY on Earth are you covered in feathers? If you've been experimenting again, I swear I'm raiding your room again!" The rant was cut short by a soft laugh coming from the blonde boy in the middle, and Mrs. Weasley gaped, never having had that reaction to her shouting before. His blue eyes sparkled in mirth, and he grabbed onto the twins to support him in his laughter. The incredulous looks everyone was sending him went ignored as he continued, doubling over once more, tears actually gathering in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he cackled, "you just reminded me of someone for a second." Everyone stared at the still giggling blonde.

His laughing tirade was interrupted by the amused clearing of someone's throat.

Remus watched with confused delight at the sight of the Fred and George covered in feathers, a terror-stricken trio, a somewhat fuming Molly, and a chocolate covered Hisoka who seemed to be struggling for air as he continued to snicker.

Their eyes met across the room, and finally the laughter died, a silence descending onto the blonde, whose face hardened the slightest bit in resolve. It was the moment neither of them had wanted to face. Naruto turned and looked at the window, the sun sinking bloody red onto the horizon. A look of understanding fluttered onto Mrs. Weasley's face, and her eyes softened. Turning to the others in the room, she briskly began ordering them about in preparation for dinner, distracting them as Lupin and Hisoka slinked out of the room unnoticed.

It was the first time he'd been outside since his rescue; he just wished it could have been on a happier occasion. The potion sloshed in his stomach, and he reached up a hand to rub it soothingly, heat radiating in an attempt at comfort from the seal.

Lupin must have noticed his obvious discomfort, for he reached out a hand, laying it on his arm in a gentle guide as they reached an abandoned park. The swing sets creaked and swung with the wind, creating an eerie, empty feeling to settle over them like a blanket. Wordlessly, Lupin pulled out a worn and wrinkled newspaper from his robes, holding it out for him to take. Naruto hesitantly took a corner between his fingers, his last experience at this method of traveling forefront in his mind. The unwelcome jerk behind his naval began the beginning of what he already knew would be a complicated night.

He hit the ground unsteadily, knees buckling from the force of his landing. Lupin helped him to his feet, dusting dirt and grass from his clothes. Once finished Naruto took in his surroundings. They were on what looked like an abandoned road; a small, comfy looking village shining with welcoming yellow lights glowed in the distance. He turned around coming into a contact with a spindly fence that surrounded a small, almost hut-like house that made Grimwauld Place look positively cheery. It was clearly condemned, the windows boarded up along with the door, bricks and roof shingles littered the ground, random, open spaces in the structure completing its poor, broken body.

He turned to Lupin, his face painted with doubt. "I really hope that's not where we're going." Lupin only nodded grimly, taking his shoulder and steering him toward the gloomy building. They climbed over the fence, tracking through the grass, dew soaking the bottoms of their pants, before stopping at the door. With a wave of his wand, it creaked open forebodingly, the unpleasant, moldy smell of water damage and dust left unchecked for years attacking their noses.

Around them, the sun sank completely, casting shadows around them. His face grave, Lupin led him down into the house. If he'd thought the outside was bad, the inside was even worse. Chunks of furniture and walls had been gouged out, gashes and tears ran through the flimsy curtains, and old, red-brown stains of blood littered the floor in dried out splotches.

The sound of clothes rustling snapped his attention back to the older man who was sliding off his cloak and robes, folding them neatly and storing them on the torn and stained mattress on the floor. He turned back to him, a beam of moonlight illuminating his features through the cracks in the boarded-up window.

His face widened, mouth expanding as it suddenly had to accommodate jaws. Hair sprouted everywhere, and the clothes he'd left on stretched and tore with the strain of a new, larger physique. The horrifying crunch of bones snapping out of place and growing longer filled the cabin, and his once soft amber eyes enlarged turning a wicked, beastly yellow. A fierce, deafening howl sprang from his throat, and he crouched down, eyes fixed unerringly on Naruto.

His back hit the wall before he even realized he'd been backing up. The wolf gazed at him intently; the eyes that had seemed so wild and terrifying a moment ago were now filled with a steady intelligence and calm. He trotted forward, teeth gently tugging on Naruto's sleeve, dragging him toward the window. Toward the moonlight.

His pupils dilated, and suddenly he surged forward, hands gripping at the wood separating him from the full beams of light. The wood splintered, his fingers bleeding as he tore it away and found himself bathed in moonlight. It washed over him completely, and he felt his body thrum. The sharp piercing crack of his bones was insanely loud, the shredding of his clothes ignored. He felt his teethe lengthening, slicing his lips and scratching his gums, dribbling blood into his mouth. His nails grew rapidly, and he could feel them curling into sharpened, deadly points, scraping the floor and leaving long, violent gashes. Fur sprouted along his back, down his arms, over his face, and his ears elongated, picking up every single sound in the room. The smell of his own blood was deliciously tangy to his nose, and his tongue lolled out, strips of spit falling to the floor. A deep growl rumbled in his throat.

He collapsed into a shuddering, furry mass on the floor. The feel of a tongue gently licking at his face caused him to crack an eye open, coming face to face with a lean, tawny colored wolf. The other nuzzled his face, silently urging him to his feet. Legs shaking like a newborn foal, he rose, limbs awkward and unsteady. He leaned heavily on the other wolf, and then looked down. He wheeled back in surprise, stumbling over his paws, and he felt his tails, oh dear lord _tails_, drag on the floor. The two furry appendages twitched and he yelped.

A breathy, bark-like laugh rang in his ears, and he looked to the other wolf, another growl rising in his throat as he lunged forward, jaws snapping at the other. An even fiercer growl boomed from the other, and he suddenly found himself under the other, sharp teeth digging into the flesh of his neck. He slumped back, and the other moved away tails slashing the air in agitation. It seemed that despite the potions effect, natural wolf nature would plow through regardless.

Lupin barked, jerking his head toward the door they'd entered through, and Naruto followed him out into the night.

In the very recesses of his mind the Kyuubi snarled and bellowed as an empty cage appeared next to his own.

* * *

**Reviews are as always incredibly loved and rewarded with baking delights :3-Cherry**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: trust me, if ownage was even barely within my grasp, it wouldn't be suited for younger viewers…**

**Oh my goodness, it's been forever since I last updated D: **

**DemonKittyAngel: oddly enough, while I was reading the new reviews and came across yours I was eating ramen, I just had to mention that :3**

Chapter 8: What a Catch

"_Things change, they always have and always will. And that's exactly what terrifies me Gaara that I'll be helpless against it, that eventually I'll be whisked away with it, just another nameless face that history couldn't bother to remember. I'll just fade away into the background, and no one will even recall how I laughed or cried, that I'll become just a wisp of memory, like dust that just gets swept under the carpet."_

_Gaara had no words that could possibly counter those, so he settled for his usual stoic silence, merely sitting next to the trembling body beside him. His eyes stayed fixed on the desert sunset when he finally spoke._

"_You will never be a mere memory to me."_

_

* * *

_

When blood flecked haphazardly across his cheeks he didn't so much as blink, merely let the sand crawl up his face and absorb it into its grainy depths. The silence of the woods was only punctuated with the labored breathing of their captive, whose blood muddled mouth spouted obscenities and screams for mercy alike. Neither ninja was moved. Neji continued onward, the steely edge of his kunai dashing into the tender skin of the man's thigh, copious amounts of blood gurgling forth. Gaara idly noted that he must have hit the man's femoral artery from the amount of blood gushing out in a steady, unending stream. He'd most likely die from the blood loss in a little amount of time, time which they didn't have. That gave him a thought.

"Hit the femoral vein* next." Neji paused slightly at the first words that had been spoken between them since they'd arrived in the clearing, before giving a consenting nod. The aristocratic blonde's high-pitched scream was incredibly satisfying.

"Now, let's try this again shall we? Where are you keeping him?"

The blonde didn't answer; head lolling backward and forward, blood dripping from his bitten lips. Neji's pale, lilac eyes narrowed into slits before his palm came crashing down with seemingly brutal force only to just slow down mere inches from the thigh, lightly tapping once more. A soundless scream ripped out of the blonde's throat, bound hands scraping and struggling against the sandy binds. In response the sand merely tightened its grip, grains chaffing against the wrists and ankles of their victim.

A flying glob of blood was spit onto the ground at their feet. Gaara's expression didn't change as he walked closer, feeling the sand tighten itself around the man's limbs.

"Tell us, Lucius Malfoy, or we shall not be so kind next time." The extreme widening of his eyes at the use of his name would have been comical if the situation had been different. The silence continued and Gaara felt the last of his patience dissolve. His hand snapped forward, clenching into a tight fist. Instantly, the sand responded, tightening around and crushing the man's leg, the grinding crunch of bones just barely rising over his screams. It continued for several seconds before the sand melted off of the now useless limb, revealing his mangled leg, a sharp shard of bone protruding from the devastated skin.

His eyes fluttered with the beginnings of unconsciousness, and Neji's hand clenched in his hair, jerking his head backwards. A shuriken pressed dangerously close to his jugular.

Finally, he opened his mouth, teeth flecked with blood, answering in a voice raspy from screaming.

"A safe house, we kept him in a safe house….but he was taken from us in a raid by the Order several weeks ago." Gaara's eyes were steady as he directed the sand towards the other leg, tightening it marginally.

"Continue."

The blonde gulped audibly, before ploughing on. "They are our enemies, we have no idea how they found out about him but all we do know is that they have him now, what they intend to now that he in their possession none of us know, or if they even have any idea what he is or where he's from." Neji's eyes narrowed cruelly.

"Then we no longer have any use for you."

As they left the clearing, Neji shifted closer to Gaara, his hand coming to rest on the other's shoulder. They shared a look before jumping back into the trees, flitting soundlessly over branches for hours before the rays of daylight lit through the leaves. The larger concentration of brightness in front of them alerted them to the fact that they were nearing the end of the forest.

Coming to a stop only just inside the edges of the forest, Neji's eyes surged to life, scanning up ahead of them. "There is only open space ahead of us, no signs of life that I can detect, but…," he trailed off, his brows furrowing in confusion. Gaara silently regarded him in question.

"There's a strange rock formation ahead of us….its imbued with layers and layers of their strange chakra and…..." he stopped again, a glimmer of hope shining in his pupil-less eyes.

"I can feel Naruto's chakra signature, he was here."

* * *

He wondered if Akumaru felt this way all the time.

As he rolled around in a thick, mossy patch of grass, he thought that, yes, he most certainly did. An amused bark-like laugh sounded behind him, and he rolled over, meeting gazes with the lean tawny colored wolf who sat patiently in between two gigantic trees that shot so high into the sky he could just barely make out the leafy tops. Rising to his paws, he galloped over, prancing proudly as he fluffed his tails in the others face. Playful nips made him yelp, causing him to hurriedly whip his tails out of reach.

Lupin trotted after him, his yellow, amber flecked eyes filled with mirth as he watched the younger clamber around the forest in obvious delight.

Naruto barked as he caught sight of a squirrel, barreling towards it and snapping at its fluffy little tail. It gave a squeak of alarm before dashing up the nearest tree. He released a dry huffing noise that could only be described as a wolf version of chuckling. Lupin came to stand next to him, nodding his nose up ahead over a sloping hill that was shrouded in a heavy blanket of mist.

Naruto yelped in agreement, bounding forward without a moment's hesitation, soon disappearing into a blanket of white. Lupin hastened after him.

Naruto didn't possibly think that turning into what literally amounted to an overgrown fur ball every time there was a full moon could possibly be so enjoyable. As he all but frolicked through the mist, unknowingly leaving Lupin far behind, he slowed to a halt.

A terribly familiar scent reached his nose.

Severus Snape growled faintly as he bent down, his back creaking in disagreement the further down he went. The smell of mushrooms suffocated the air around him, and carefully he plucked them from the ground, his gloved hands masterfully moving them from the ground to his collections bag. The Death-Cap mushroom, while incredibly useful in the fabricating of potions was, as its name suggested, incredibly poisonous and had to be handled with the utmost care. As he reached down to grab another he froze. His hand twitched imperceptibly, and his wand slid from the special holster on his arm and into his hand. The low growl of the creature rang in his ears, and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as he recognized it.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he turned, and came face to face with the most unpleasant creature he'd ever had the displeasure of seeing in a textbook, and now, unfortunately, in person.

Graphorn's are creatures that are usually found in more mountainous areas of Europe, and what one was doing in the Forbidden Forest Snape would never know, but all he did know was at the moment he had a very good chance of dying a most painful and messy death. His wand felt utterly useless in his hand, because damn them, they had skin tougher than a dragon's making most spells ineffective, and he briefly entertained the thought of throwing it like a stick and hoping the creature was dumb enough to chase after it like a common dog.

As it stalked ever closer he concluded that, no, that definitely wouldn't work.

* * *

The smell flooded his nose, sharp, metallic, and fresh.

Blood.

He ran faster, his paws slapping the ground with more force than he knew he was even capable of, unsettling dirt and rocks alike. His tails lashed wildly behind him, knocking away drooping pieces foliage and plants as he went. The scent of blood became stronger as he neared, and he felt a sick sense of satisfaction at the sight that greeted him as he broke through the trees.

A hooked nose, long black hair, and a lanky, sallow body laid sprawled out against the trunk of one of the thick trees. The man he didn't know as Severus Snape shakily raised his wand at his sudden appearance, his already dilated eyes widening as they looked upon him. He cursed loudly, and scrambled further up the tree, entangling himself in the thick, above-ground roots that rose from the soil, forming a cage-like, woody barrier between them.

The smell of blood wafted from him thickly, emanating from a part of his black sleeve that was darker than the rest of his robes. But his wasn't the only source of blood. An acrid, cloying scent drifted from the other side of the clearing and Naruto's nose scrunched in distaste at the stench. It came from a grey-ish purple lump of…..well something that had been alive, but at this point was mostly mush that radiated an awful smell of burnt flesh and mushrooms and had two wickedly curved horns atop the mess where its head might have once resided. He wrinkled his nose at it.

He turned back to the black haired man, his hackles rising accordingly, and took one threatening step forward t-

CRASH.

The trees erupted behind him, sending him crashing and sliding along the ground. He landed near the tree that housed his greasy haired former captor, and dizzily got to his feet to face the…_thing. _ Whatever the hell it was, it was one of the ugliest things he'd ever seen, and guessing from the same deadly looking horns that adorned its head, it wasn't all to happy with the demise of its mushy friend. Together, wolf and potions professor turned to look at each other, each one conveying the same thought.

_Oh shit. _

With an ear shattering howl, the creature charged forward, large thumbed limbs leaving huge depressions into the ground wherever it stepped. Snape sprang from his make-shift fort and ran along behind the tree, his steps awkward and limping. Naruto followed after him, teeth catching on the billowing material of his robes with viscous teeth and a hate-filled growl, he kneeled down before the other, silently offering escape. Snape stared at the wolf for all of three seconds before sliding on and taking two firm handfuls of fur.

Naruto ran harder than he'd ever run in his short time as a wolf, and already he could feel exhaustion creeping in, stretching from the edges of his claws to the tips of his tails. With a snarl he quickened his pace, limbs extending even farther in an all out sprint, the sounds of trees crashing behind them spurring him on. The mist seemed to thicken the farther he went, and soon he couldn't even see past his own nose. Whispered words met his heightened ears, and the distinct wash of magic moved around him. The unexpected spell almost had him coming to a complete stop in paranoia that the other had done something until he fully deciphered the words.

"Point me."

Instantly, there were sharp insistent tugs in his fur, steering him to the side, a compact thicket of trees to the left of them. He skidded sharply towards it, his passenger clenching painfully onto his fur, knees digging hard into his sides. They burst through the trees, dramatically slipping and sliding right into a stream. A very, very cold stream.

Naruto yelped in the sudden shock of cold, and he could hear his rider utter the same at the unpleasant surprise. Suddenly Snape lunged forward, his hand clamping over Naruto's huffing maw. The rampaging of their pursuer rushed by them, making the trees and ground around them shudder. They waited there with bated breath, neither daring to move lest they disturb the water and give away their positions. So there they stood, man and wolf-hybrid, in waist high freezing water, with twin looks of strain on their very faces, for what seemed like hours, until the creatures noises eventually melted away.

When they finally moved apart, they seemed to come to a standstill, neither making any move to get out of the stream. Cautiously, Snape moved forward, his hand extending forward until it came into contact with the top of the other's head. Shakily, he bent down until they were eye level, the water surging up to his chest, and bowed their heads together.

He hesitated; tongue slipping out to wet his suddenly chapped lips. He opened his mouth to speak when-

The early morning rays of light broke through gaps in the trees, lighting along the stream, its water shimmering and reflecting the light onto its surface and onto the Potions Master and a suddenly very naked blonde with whisker tattoos.

* * *

**Ahhhh I know, it's terribly short, especially after such a long time without updating, but don't worry, I'm already fast working on Ch. 9, and it's looking like it'll be a long one, so hopefully that will make up for this one's rather abysmal length.**

**Anyway, reviews warrant cookies, so be sure to do so. -Cherry**


	9. Chapter 9

**Worry not SuperNekofan, there are plenty of cookies to go around, in fact –gives cookie- enjoy it wisely.**

**Mitsuki-the chakra usage will probably only be used in extreme situations, like how when he was younger he could only use Kyuubi's when he lost total control of his emotions or his life was seriously threatened. Most likely something along those lines. Also, so long as he uses the Wolfsbane potion like Lupin, he'll be able to keep his mind.**

**Feldoran-presents with cookie-**

**Sanao Mikaru- for the moment, the Malfoy family's allegiances are still in the process of being decided**

**SaturnXK- yes, Neji and Gaara are looking for Naruto together, and to your yaoi question, there won't be any pairings in this story, though there might be the occasional undertones of slash and het, but even that will most likely be rare.**

**Thanks to all my ever so fantastic reviewers and all the people who've favorited it as well, you rock pretty hard :3**

**Now onwards and enjoy**

Chapter 9: Built for Sin

Naruto enjoyed a lot of things. His friends, ramen, learning new jutsu, and many other things that would take far too long to list. So getting to the point, one of the few things he especially disliked was being naked in the middle of a cold stream, in a strange, unfamiliar forest, along with a surly Death Eater who'd spent the better part of several months holding him captive, torturing him, along with a large number of other equally nasty things. It really just rubbed him the wrong way, especially after he'd just run his ass off from some strange moving purple mountain with horns to save the jerk. So yeah, things could have at least tried to be better, but from the absolutely flabbergasted look on the other's face and the fact that his hand was wavering uncomfortably close to his wand, things weren't about to start looking up anytime soon. So, as they each silently contemplated the other, he came up with a plan. A solid plan. A good plan that was well thought out, guaranteed to work, and reinforced with positive thinking.

Which was exactly why he, with an animalistic war cry, leapt at the other and proceeded to pummel his face into an unrecognizable mess.

Yeah, it was a great plan.

His fists crashed with a resounding crack each time they met with skin. The crunch of a nose breaking, cheekbones bruising, lips splitting. They rang like a cacophony of brutal sounds to his hypersensitive ears, the skin pressing against his knuckles with vicious intimacy. The sharp flecks of blood spattered haphazardly into the surrounding water, the chilly depths absorbing them without thought, painting the water a runny pink.

And still the man beneath did nothing to retaliate. Something that only infuriated him more than words could describe. He wanted him to scream, to foolishly ask for mercy, to hit him back, to knock him over and dole out his own punishments. But he didn't, he just lay there in the shallow stream, the water splashing up into his face, weighing down his clothes, and washing away his blood, eyes unblinking as Naruto's fists continued to pummel him, his feature schooled in a façade of no reaction. So he pulled his punches harder, dugs his knees in tighter, and scratched deeper than humanly possible.

And still nothing.

* * *

The rocks themselves were strange. They loosely formed a circle that at one time had obviously been complete, but centuries of weathering had worn them down into a ramshackle mess of what it once had been. But the shape itself wasn't what was important. No, what was important was the utter _power _that it just seemed to radiate from every crack and pore of stone. It was almost overwhelming in its entirety, and it sent shivers down Neji's spine. So much power, so much literally packed in every single surface, it was practically an overload on the senses.

With a bated breath, he activated the Byakugan.

And instantly flailed back as his eyes were flash-blinded by the brightest energy signature he'd ever seen. The grainy blanket of sand that caught him scooped him up, almost like a hovering chair, with a thin tendril coming up to spread thickly over his hastily deactivated eyes. The soothing, cool darkness massaged his shuttered eyelids, the tiny pebbles never once encroaching into his eyes, their stinging brutality stayed into surprising gentleness.

A growl of annoyance ripped from his throat, and the sand whipped away, revealing his abruptly bloodshot eyes, the veins surrounding the stark white of his eyes an angry, bitter red. Irritated, he swiped his palms across them, futilely rubbing them in hopes of comfort for the sensitive orbs. The presence of his companion moving closer to him jarred him slightly, the disorientation of his eyes skewing his other senses embarrassingly.

"What can you make of this?"

Neji considered his words, trying with surprising difficulty to get his thoughts into order, something which would be much easier if his eyes did not burn so. With one last rubbing of the oversensitive orbs he regarded the other.

"I can't say with certainty what the original purposes of these rocks were, but whatever they may have been it was undoubtedly powerful. They have been imbued with centuries of the outsiders' strange chakra, or magic as they call it, and I can say that as of now, it has been used as a gateway between our worlds. Definitely not the only one, but most likely one of the more powerful ones in this part of the world, I can imagine that there are others are scattered throughout their world, places of old, strong magic that can only be accessed by those of considerable strength. Or perhaps with large groups, with each member contributing a portion of their power to make it work. The fact that there are still remnants of Naruto's own signature remaining here, not to mention what I can distinguish as many others; he was forced through here by some ritual they performed. Undoubtedly, something that is not unlike our own summoning methods, only instead of bringing forth something like Naruto's toads or the Godaime's slugs, it's a botched human version."

He said it all quickly, barely pausing for breath between sentences. He looked to Gaara for his reactions, but as usual, the others stoic silence prevailed, his face betraying almost nothing. But the slight furrowing of his nonexistent eyebrows told Neji all he needed to know of the other's thoughts on the matter.

Quietly, he activated his eyes once more, carefully limiting his sight of the mounds of stone, instead focusing his sight farther west, the beginning outlines of a small town encroaching up his vision. A frown tugged at his lips as he saw the people and their dress. Deactivating his eyes once more, he looked to his ever silent partner.

"There's a small town near us, roughly 2 miles away. It would be best if we were to alter our appearance, our current dress and features would cause us to stick out rather sorely, and garner unwanted attention." He gave brief details of what the people their age seemed to favor wearing. Gaara nodded in understanding.

He closed his eyes, his hands soundlessly rising into the needed seals. With a muted poof of smoke, a teen of roughly the same slender build and height stood before him, a messy head of chocolate brown spikes sprouting from his head and drooping into his now dark, hazel eyes and slim eyebrows, however the heavy rings still surrounded them. The tattoo melted into unmarred pale skin, his facial features now softer and more round rather than the sharp angles that made it up before. His clothing mirrored the designs of what he'd seen the younger people wearing. Instead of his usual color scheme of browns, reds, and tans, he now wore a long, almost trench-coat like jacket that was black and decorated with chains and pins. He wore a pair of odd, dark wash pants that were made out of some rough material and a pair of equally dark steel-toed boots. He looked distinctly uncomfortable.

Neji stifled a smirk at the odd style these people seemed to adopt before doing the same, his hands seamlessly forming the needed seals perfectly. With another gust of smoke he stood changed before the other, his normally long, brown hair shortened until it only just swept his shoulders in rich, dirty blonde waves. His opaque, milky eyes were now a light, seemingly violet color that stood out sharply amidst his now tan skin. An unadorned black t-shirt with fishnet sleeves hugged his chest and arms, and a simple pair of black shorts hung down to his knees. He wore a matching pair of boots.

A beat of silence passed.

"We look ridiculous."

Gaara merely let out a noncommittal grunt and began walking.

* * *

_Her eyes were empty, the once bright greens hollow and listless. She lay unmoving on the ground, her pink locks splayed across the ground in ratty tufts. The small puddle of blood collected around her head, fanning out around her like a blood-stained halo. Her poor arm lay twisted and crooked. Her teeth and lips were painted vividly with blood; it dripped and dried down her chin and to her neck, leading a trail until it disappeared beneath her torn clothing. _

"_I don't want it to be this way dammit!"_

_He slid to his knees into the mud, his hands trembling as they clenched into the dripping dirt. His shoulders shook, his chest heaved, and his breaths came ragged and torn. His hand shook as it reached for a kunai, poising it delicately between palm and fingers. With a 'swish' it tore deeply, raggedly, into his other hand, the bright red of his blood gurgling to the surface, seeping to the ground beneath him, mixing morbidly with the soggy brown and clear of the water and dirt, swirling before thinning out and dispersing completely. _

_He blinked rapidly, her image swept away with his blood. A crazed laugh of relief stuck in his throat. He'd always been so terrible when it came to genjutsu…_

_His eyes burned with the harsh beating of the wet sun, the blurry tears scurrying down his scarred cheeks without restraint. His throat convulsed and choked, the words trapping themselves against his teeth, refusing to sound the way he desperately needed them to. Because he had to say this, had to tell them, to let them know what this truly was. What it only could be. He had to find them. She was ok, everything was fine, and it would be alri-_

_A pair of black sandals came into his bowed vision. A pale hand shot forward, grasping his chin tightly before raising it to meet their eyes._

_Naruto's lips wobbled and he drew the bottom between his teeth._

"_Don't do it…Please…"_

* * *

She felt tired. So, so very tired. She felt that her very bones seemed to echo with an all consuming ache, reverberating into every cell of her body. Blindly she groped for her sake cup, and cursed loudly when it continued to elude her. With a frustrated growl she brought her fist down onto the desk, which let loose an ominous groan before splitting in two. She stared at the scattered remains impassively before letting loose a deep sigh.

"Shizune," she called, her voice cracked and rough, "I need a new desk."

* * *

He felt one of his fingers break with a snap and just as quickly felt it moving back into place. He pulled his fist back, his knuckles cracking with harsh accuracy. The other's face was a mess of mottled bruised and achingly shallow cuts that dribbled blood without fail, leaking and painting his face messily red. He wrenched his hand back again, preparing for another onslaught.

Snape blinked as he felt the blonde tense before standing stiffly from his chest. A 'whoosh' of air filled his lungs to the brim, and he breathed it in with a relieved gasp. There was a splash of water that alerted him to the boy's movements and he looked up to watch him step onto land. His blue eyes blazed darkly, dots of blood decorating his face in random places.

'_My blood.'_ He thought dazedly.

Weakly, he hefted himself into a sitting position, his body protesting with every movement. His eyes were met with a pair of disturbingly calm blue that sent chills down his spine. His lips opened to speak, but no sound came out, only the loud clack of teeth snapping together in disbelief and anger. His wand was wet and slick as he grasped it into his hand, but he kept it lowered at his side. They stared for several moments before the blonde's head snapped to the side just as the bushes began to rustle. Snape's sharp inhale of breath was released quickly as he saw the rather rumpled form of one Remus Lupin.

The older werewolf's eyes widened as he took in the scene: Naruto's bare body, Snape's completely demolished face, and the fact that they were both sopping wet in the middle of the Forbidden Forest.

"Well then…who would care to explain?"

* * *

Hermione restlessly shifted on her feet as she examined the shelf before her. Her teeth delicately bit down on her lips as her eyes shifted from title to title, each sweeping never revealing the book she was searching for. Honestly, she thought to herself, new school books shouldn't be so hard to find.

Finally, it caught her eye, and with a satisfied smile she reached forward to pluck it from the shelf, only to have another set of hands carelessly snatch it away. Indignation rose to her lips, and she twisted around, a sharp reprimand already forming on her lips, only to die before they even left her mouth.

She felt her mouth go dry with nervousness as she took in the pompous sight of Draco Malfoy leaning casually against the shelf, the book held lazily in his pale hands. His usual self-assured smirk was in place, his light eyes glinting with a glow that immediately set her teeth on edge.

"Hello Granger, fancy meeting you here." Even his voice sounded with the same aristocratic smugness that he carried himself with. With a grimace stretching across her lips and her hand already wrapped around her wand in her pocket, she stalked forward, her hand snapping out to grasp the book. Surprisingly, he didn't move it away, and let her hand grasp the spine of the book. Silence resounded around them, and for some unknown reason she felt a blush spread across her face. Uselessly, she tugged the book toward her, and was even more taken aback when he merely let it slide from his hands. She stumbled back slightly, shock evident on her face. She saw his eyes flit over her shoulder, and the smirk on his face tugged down slightly.

"See you around Granger." He waltzed away, leaving her with the distinct feeling that something major had just happened.

'_Whatever it was, it was certainly odd…'_

"Was that Malfoy?" An annoyed voice said from behind her, and she turned to find Harry standing behind her, an unpleasant expression on his face as he looked in the direction of the retreating blonde.

"Yes," she sniffed huffily, "just being his usual incorrigible self." Her tone let him know that that was all she was willing to say about the matter, and resolutely she continued her book hunt, Harry trailing behind her as they traversed the many shelves of Flourish and Blotts.

* * *

**So then, we've finally started more character introductions, and Gaara and Neji have finally arrived. I know this is terribly, terribly late, but I hope you enjoyed it.-Cherry**


	10. Chapter 10

**Ah, we've finally hit 100 reviews and I'm absolutely giddy . So, i must ardently thank all of you who reviewed or favorited me or my story, gracious thanks once more to my reviewers who continue to utterly rock. **

**And also to StarsOfYaoi: thank you for the lengthy and lovely review, it was very encouraging **

**As per usual disclaimer: Naruto nor Harry Potter-sadly-cannot be called my own**

**Now, on with the story…**

Chapter 10: The Dog Days are Over

"_I admire your expensive taste." Naruto deadpanned, his eyes absolutely flat and the beginnings of an annoyed tick taking form on his temple. Sakura pouted, thrusting the material at him with more insistence. "At least try it on." He distrustfully eyed the red and black fabrics before grudgingly taking it from her and heading towards the dressing room, muttering obscenities along the way. _

_Five minutes later, she knocked insistently on the door. "Come ON Naruto, it doesn't take this long to get changed!" The door swung open, and the rest of her complaints died on her lips._

"_Wow Naruto…" _

_He uncomfortably tugged on the long black fishnet sleeves that crept out from under the vibrant red of the T-shirt that clung rather nicely to his slender, toned torso. The black cropped pants she'd chosen for him hung just so on his somewhat angular hips and she felt a gentle smile curling on the edges of her lips. His unruly spikes hung into his face, creeping over his headband and drooping into his ever blue eyes. For one moment she felt breathless, the air curling and settling in her lungs with no intention of leaving. And then it passed as a goofy smile plastered itself on his face and he wagged his eyebrows at her._

"_If you think I look so good, how about a date then Sakura-chan?" She felt a familiar, comforting tug on her heart as he looked at her with bright humorous eyes. She pulled her fist back sending it into his head with a crash._

"_Not even in your dreams baka." _

_It felt so natural, and for a brief moment she truly dreaded the day he gave up on their playful games and sought after someone with serious intent. But as earlier, the thought passed and she smiled at the teen that reminded her so often of a childish little brother. She tugged on his arm, pushing him back into the changing room._

"_Now wait there while I go pick out something else for you…"_

_His whines followed her as she dived back into the clothing racks._

* * *

The train's familiar rumbling coursed beneath his feet as he settled themselves into their compartment. Harry stretched out along the seat, welcoming the absence of his two best friends for the moment. He felt a surprising peace without them, the quiet air, which was usually filled with their bickering, was truly calming and he took this rare moment of aloneness to get comfortable. Before he knew it, he felt his eyes sliding close, not even noticing when his compartment door slid open.

His black eyes calmly slid along the small space, barely even sparing a glance on the slumbering teen. He stepped into the compartment fully, closing the door silently behind him, and just as silently drew the blind down. Turning back, he finally rested his eyes on the sleeping boy, taking in his appearance and comparing it to the one he'd been given. Messy black hair, round glasses, and just the hint of an oddly shaped scar on his forehead confirmed his mark.

Without a sound he drew a kunai from his robes.

With a casual flick his wrist darted forward, a stray lock of inky black hair snipped precisely. He caught it storing it in a small cloth bag that hung around his neck. And with a barely audible whispered word he disappeared, stolen hair and all.

* * *

Naruto had had many experiences of being in front of the desk of someone with authority, especially in his younger years when his pranks had been much more common. So as he sat in the rather plush chair in front of the wizened old man that he still liked to refer to as Dumbly, he felt a touch of discomfort settle within him that was anything but unfamiliar. But as the man's blue eyes twinkled (and damn did he use one of their many odd, and somewhat useless spells to make them do that?) at him, he found himself reflexively smiling back at them as he sucked on one of those strange, lemony candies that he was beginning to become addicted to. In fact, he had the man's candy bowl nestled safely in his lap.

"I hope you find one of these two options agreeable to your plans on getting home Naruto-san."

As always, Dumbly's use of the honorific never ceased to surprise him and bring a tingle of happiness down his spine. The fact that this man who barely knew him used such respect for him was always astounding and he wished that more people could be like this likeable, if somewhat eccentric old man.

His words gave him pause however, as he did indeed consider his options. On the one hand, while he did find the castle exceedingly fascinating, but staying here for the entire year would be crippling in regards for research and hopefully finding a way home. Despite Dumbly's assurances that they had a well stocked library with thousands of references at their disposal, the thought of staying put in a sprawling castle filled to the brim with teenage civilians that practiced magic paired with curiosity worse than the proverbial cat's was most unattractive in Naruto's books.

And as he thought of all those children, running around with wands firing at will, he made his choice.

"So, tell me more about this Department of Mysteries."

If anything, the old man's eyes twinkled even brighter.

The Great Hall had to be one of the nicest places Naruto had ever had the pleasure of having a meal in. The ceiling was absolutely mesmerizing, and currently depicted a blue-hued night sky, with smatterings of stars and dusky gray-black clouds that slid through the enchanted sky lazily. If the food weren't so good, the ceiling would have held his attention for the entire meal.

As it were, for the moment his eyes were dragged away from the rather impressive display above and glued to the table as more food melted into existence. He was proud to say that when the first course had appeared he'd only had the mildest of heart attacks, and had certainly not sworn violently and loudly, causing everyone in the hall to pause and stare. Of course not, what kind of fool would do that?

But as towers of creamy ice cream and mounds of chocolate dipped fruits and multitudes of sweet breads and candies appeared his eyes were tempted to bug out once more. His hand twitched and it took every ounce of restraint he had not to merely drag the closest goodie to himself and devour it accordingly. However, from the corner of his eyes he could see the old man move to his feet and around the table to the podium at the front once more. Naruto frowned, wondering what more he had to say that wasn't stated earlier on before the feast started and in the middle of dessert no less.

Dumbly cleared his throat and began speaking, his words flowing and curling through the ears of all the pupils who supposedly listened closely, their young eyes glued to the impressive figure decked out in a glaring (to some) shade of orange.

"As I'm sure many of you have no doubt noticed, the place of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor has yet to make an appearance, and I'd like to apologize for that fact, but I'm afraid he was somewhat delayed in his journey here. However, when Professor Sang (1) does make his appearance, I expect you all to welcome him warmly into our midst." Muttering broke out through the hall, the students no doubt discussing this odd happening regarding their new teacher.

Naruto frowned, thoughtfully sucking down a large spoonful of chocolate ice cream. Well, he somewhat hoped he'd still be around when this mysterious new Professor decided to come around. In the meantime, there was a slice of chocolate cake that desperately needed his attention.

At the Gryffindor table, there was an uncharacteristic silence between the alleged Golden Trio of Hogwarts. With little enthusiasm, Harry prodded at his pudding. The want to eat had suddenly deserted him the moment he'd stepped into the Great Hall and caught sight of a familiar head of blonde hair at the top of the head table. There Hisoka sat, casually chatting up Professor Sprout, as if he'd been there the entire time, as if he'd not suddenly disappeared two weeks ago without a word. It had been with much surprise at Grimwauld Place that he'd awoken early to pay the odd blonde a visit only to discover his room completely empty of the blonde or any of the few possessions he had had. Add to that, further frustration came in the form of elusive silence from all the adults who inhabited the old house, who merely acted as if his disappearance was no real cause for concern.

With a scowl, he grasped his spoon and poked his pudding violently.

Next to him Ron continued to gulf down his food, barely even seeming to chew as gobbled up bite after bite. Hermione watched him in mild disgust, the years having done nothing to desensitize her to her friend's atrocious table manners. Turning her attention to her other quieter friend, she felt a frown tug on her face. Something about her friend looked different…

"Harry, did you cut your hair?"

* * *

Draco Malfoy awoke ungodly early that morning. With an annoyed grunt he climbed out of bed, swinging his feet onto the unforgiving cold floor, hissing as the cold crept into his warm limbs. He slid on a pair of slippers, moving down into the common room where a fire was already blazing. He sought its warmth immediately, sighing in satisfaction as it brought back the lost heat. He looked at the clock as it chimed lowly, and noticed, disgruntled that it was only 4:30. Honestly, why his body had decided to awake at such a time he had no idea, but already the dredges of sleep had left him with no hope of coming back anytime soon.

He quietly returned upstairs, sidling into the bathroom and moving towards the shower. He turned the knob in the stall, stepping back as the water sputtered to life. He waited for several minutes giving the water time to heat before shedding his clothing and getting in. he sighed in content as the warm water rushed over and soothed sore muscles, his body's complaints echoing through him. He didn't stay long though, quickly scrubbing himself clean and slicking shampoo through his hair, slicking it back in his preferred style before stepping out and wrapping a towel around himself. His steps still quiet, he reentered the dorm, changing quickly into a loose pair of black pants and gray shirt, before leaving just as silently as he'd come.

He walked out into the dungeons, his steps loud and alone in the dreary hall. Sliding his hands into his pockets, he vaguely wondered where he should even go. Undoubtedly, breakfast was already being served for the early risers of the castle, but he felt no compelling need to join their numbers. He frowned, considering his options.

'Well, I'm certainly already dressed for it.' He inwardly scolded himself for showering so early as he decided that a nice morning workout would definitely fit into his morning routine. He was positive that most would be shocked that the pompous Draco Malfoy would lower himself to something as menial as physical exertion, but if there was one thing he prided himself on, it was the upkeep of his health and physique, though he usually didn't wake until much later to ensure its upkeep. He usually took solace on tops of the lesser used, but abundant, towers in the eastern part of the castle, where wandering students were scarce. Besides, he noted, he'd be able to watch the sun rise at this point.

He moved through the castle with ease, the years spent here having erased much of the mystery and confusion the castle often exuded to those un-used to its oddities. It felt like no time had even passed before he was ascending the staircase that led him to the outside, the fading dark of the sky bleeding through the cracks of the door. He opened it, and found his footsteps faltering.

With a deep breath the figure exhaled loudly through their nose, their hands rising over their head, arching their back until it curved in a flexible arc. They stilled when their hands met with the ground and they held the bridge pose for several seconds before raising back, their hands resting palms together in front of their chest as if in prayer. They settled in a crouch, extending one leg out, and bending their body over it, leaning forward until the very tips of their fingers went beyond their own toes. They repeated it on the other leg, before sitting themselves onto the ground, legs spread apart in something resembling a split, and their entire torso bent forward until their front was pressed to the ground.

Creeping rays of new morning light hit the tower, reflecting onto dusky golden lashes and sunshine hair. Tan skin stretched taut as its owner went down into another set of stretches, eyelashes lightly fluttering as his eyes lazily moved beneath closed lids. The warmth of new morning light warmed his skin and his eyes slid open, welcoming the new day with bright eyes. The boy smiled as he rose from his last set, reaching down to the ground and picking up his discarded shirt and jacket. A heavy sheen of sweat gleamed on his chest, and his breathing was slightly heavy still from what Draco supposed were his early exercises. He stood just behind the doorway that led to the outside, and his head only just peeked beyond its border to watch the lithe blonde. Why he didn't announce his presence he was unsure, but it would feel terribly intrusive, as if he were interrupting some special ceremony.

'_As if standing here watching him was any less intrusive.'_ He thought sarcastically to himself, an uncomfortable flush creeping up his neck, making him distinctly aware how awkward it would be should the other boy suddenly take notice of his silent audience. Just as he was about to turn and hopefully leave unnoticed his silent wishes were dashed as he suddenly found himself the subject of a rather amused chuckle.

"Was there something you needed?"

Draco frowned as he turned back around, excuses tugging at his tongue already, before he realized how utterly foolish he was acting. Honestly, what had come over him? There was no reason to be so embarrassed. With an acknowledging nod, he greeted the other boy whose eyes seemed to sparkle with mirth, some joke that only he seemed a part of.

"I didn't mean to intrude, I wasn't aware that someone else was up here." He had no inclination to be rude, seeing as the boy didn't appear to have any immediate negative reaction to his presence. He shuffled through his memory, trying to place the whiskered face to any of the multitudes of Hogwarts. "I'm afraid I don't recognize you, what house are you from?"

His eyes crinkled in a smile. "I don't belong to any, I'm just a guest here for the time being." Ah, now he remembered, the blonde who'd been at the head table at last night's feast, he berated himself slightly for not taking note of the other's presence last night immediately. But his thoughts had been occupied by other, less pleasant notions at the time, and the blonde had escaped his notice.

"I hope I'm not disturbing a favorite place of yours mister…?" The question hung with a pause near the end, the other obviously unsure of how to address him.

"My name is Draco, Draco Malfoy, and you are?"

"Hisoka Aoi*, pleased to meet you." Hisoka extended a slim, tan hand which Draco did not hesitate to shake.

"You as well."

* * *

Sakura giggled as she wiggled her hips. The shear fabric of her hip skirt clung suggestively to her hips, the dangling coins jingling with every shake. Across from her, her companion smiled, his eyes smiling as he knocked back a shot of sake. Stepping elegantly toward him, she sunk just as gracefully on the couch next to him resting her head on his shoulder. The man's arm slung itself around her shoulders, and she snuggled in close, a fake, pleased smile on her face and a kunai clenched coldly in her hand.

* * *

**Goodness, a whole six pages. I must say I quite like the way this turned out. I also suddenly realized that I'd forgotten to give little Hisoka a last name...**

**Aoi=means blue**

**Please read and review and I'll see you all next chapter :3. -Cherry**


	11. Chapter 11

**It's come to my attention that sometimes it can be rather hard to read the story with all the random places and POV changes, so from now on all will be labeled in some way.**

**So, many thanks once more for all of the wonderful reviews I've been receiving, they certainly brighten my day :).**

**DemonKittyAngel: ah, when I first wrote that beginning flashback with Naruto and Sakura shopping, I'd intended it to be a dream sequence, but that just didn't fit very well into the chapter, but I kept the sequence itself since I liked it and I'll most likely tie it in with something else in the upcoming chapters. **

**Forward march!**

* * *

Chapter 11: Ghost of You

_Konoha-Village Gates_

The hulking forms of the gates were a welcome sight to her weary eyes. She felt in desperate need of a shower, and she was sure she looked like it as well. Her normally vibrant pink hair hung in tattered, dirty clumps, and her clothes were wrought with tears and ugly holes. She ran a hand through her hair, grimacing as it came back filthy.

The guards at the gates, two rather bored looking Chunin, shook themselves to alertness at her approach, and she went through the usual identifying procedures exhaustedly. As the gates opened to let her pass, a flash of silver caught her eye, and a fond smile slipped onto her lips.

"Hello Kakashi-sensei."

The familiar masked face of her teacher was an even more welcoming sight. He patted her on the head, ruffling her dirty locks and causing her eye to twitch in irritation. She slapped his hand away with a grumble and his eye curved in the 'u' shape that meant he was smiling. She began walking towards the tower and he easily fell into step with her, pulling out a little orange book that caused Sakura to growl.

"Must you read that filth in public?"

His eye only crinkled further. "No one appears to mind," he said, casually flicking to the next page, a perverted giggle escaping from his mouth. They continued toward the tower, and Sakura felt a smile tug itself onto her face. The usual hustle and bustle of the market place thrived around her, people laughing, buying, and selling to their hearts' content. The smell of dango wafted through the air, sticky, sweet buns, and tangy, fresh fruit mixed with the smell of salt and fish. They neared a stand, the familiar, well-worn canvas signs swaying gently in the breeze, the aroma of hot noodles and broth drifting toward them.

She felt her heartbeat slow, her eyes widening as the air seemed to vacate her lungs.

"_Ne, ne Sakura-chan, just one bowl pleeeeeaaaaseeee?"_

"_Baka, it's never just __**one **__bowl with you, it's more like 10!"_

"_Aw c'mon, just this once Sakura?"_

"Sakura?"

Kakashi's voice filtered slowly through her brain, and she was surprised to realize that she'd come to a complete stop in front of the stand. Suddenly, the weariness hit her full force and for a moment she worried that her legs might give out. It must have shown on her face for Kakashi was beside her, a concerned hand on her shoulder, one visible eye turned down in a frown. But she could see it s clearly in her mind's eye: that annoyingly bright orange jumpsuit that was just a little too big to fit his slight frame, wisps of sun-kissed locks barely held back by a headband of blue that was just a shade darker then his own sparkling eyes, and a smile so big it nearly split his happy face as he begged for the unhealthy noodles.

Her heart clenched, as if someone had reached into her chest, grabbed hold of the pumping organ and squeezed for all they were worth. A cry rose to her lips but she held it in, biting her lip so hard she tasted the copper of her own blood. She took a deep breath, straightening her shoulders and steeling her face.

"Come one Sensei, I'm already late getting to the tower as it is."

Their walk recommenced in silence, neither party willing to speak of what they were both thinking.

* * *

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Gryffindor Tower_

It was with bleary eyes that Harry woke to sunlight filtering through his curtains. With a groan he rolled over, hoping to catch just one last remnant of sleep before starting the day. It was not to be had however; he could already here his other bunk-mates rising for the day, whispered conversations about the classes ahead already breaking out between them. Grunting tiredly he opened the curtains, squinting as light struck his eyes, causing him to blindly grope for his glasses. Sliding them on, and almost poking his eyes out in the process, he stumbled to the bathroom.

He returned minutes later, looking and feeling much more refreshed now that he'd actually cleaned up a bit. He yawned a good morning to Ron who did nothing more than grunt in reply, trying to lace his shoes onto an unsocked foot. Harry plopped down onto his bed pulling out his robes and the like before dressing. He looked around noticing that all his dorm mates were taking their sweet time with dressing, and he sighed before heading down to the common room by himself, hoping that Hermione was already up and about.

His hopes were dashed as he stepped into the cheery red room to find it inhabited only with a few first and second years. His stomach growled and all thoughts of waiting for his two friends were abandoned as he made his way towards the portrait hole.

The halls were oddly sparse for the first day, usually by this time people were huffing and shoving their ways through the hallways to reach breakfast and he found the quiet somewhat disconcerting. But he shrugged it off, chalking it up to students trying to prolong their free time as much as possible before the inevitable classes started. So lost was he in his musings of students and their constant avoidance of class, he walked straight into someone. He staggered back and a surprisingly quick hand flashed out to steady him.

"Ne, you ok there kiddo?"

Their voice was smooth and light, as though they constantly had a joke or laugh poised on the tip of their tongue. Harry straightened up, apology already ready to fall from his lips when he looked into the other's face. He had a finely boned face with a nose that looked like it had been broken on more than one occasion, short-cropped black hair that stuck up in messy spikes atop his head, and a scar that streaked down his left eye. However, it was his eyes that in fact had Harry to stunned to speak. They were a clear, laughing grey that glimmered and chuckled at some joke known only to himself. A grey that made Harry's gut constrict in sharp pulls.

"_Is this part of the Third Task?" Cedric asked, hand already grasping his wand, his eyes darting around nervously. Harry swallowed, dread piling into his stomach._

"_I don't think so…"_

_The crunch of an approaching figure, the cries as Harry found himself on his knees, his head aching and split, the whispered curse of death, and the hollow thump of a lifeless body crumpling beside him. _

_Cedric lay limp on the ground beside him, grey eyes that had been filled to the brim with life mere seconds ago now as dull as useless metal. _

"_Cedric?" His hand reached out trembling, needing to confirm with touch what he couldn't bare to do with sight alone. His fingers never even met what he knew had to be rapidly chilling skin before he was forced to his feet, the crunch and slap of a body being forced into restraint a torrential rush to his ears. _

"_Blood of the father, unknowingly given…"_

"Dear God kid!Speak to me!" His shoulder was being shaken roughly; a jolt back into the real world where there were no more graveyards filled with the freshly dead or masked murderers. His eyes refocused, actually managing to meet the now relieved grey eyes that had set him off in the first place.

"Man kid, you sure scared me half to death, thought you had some sorta condition the way you just conked out like that. Thought I was gonna have to bring you to the Hospital Wing on my very first day. Not the greatest way to make a first impression that's for sure, almost scaring one of my new students to death before I even get them in the classroom." Harry blinked, his brain trying to work through the onslaught of the man's accented words. With a start, his eyes flitted back up to the others, taking special note of the graceful, upward sweep of his eyes that mirrored Hisoka's almost perfectly.

"Are you Professor Sang?" He blinked before a grin stretched onto his face.

"Aw I'm flattered, you kids talking about me already huh?" He didn't wait for a reply, and Harry highly doubted he'd even been looking for one, before he suddenly found a steering hand on his shoulder that practically pushed him towards the Great Hall.

"Now then, you're looking quite peaky, and I'm sure the last thing you want to do on the first day of classes is spend it in the infirmary. So, let's get some food in ya before you go toppling over huh."

Harry groaned as he tripped over his own robes.

Naruto had to say, he'd never thought he could get along so well with a civilian. Not to say that they were difficult to be around, or even bad friends, but their understanding only went so far. They could never truly grasp the horror of shinobi life, the unending trials of seeing people you cared for slaughtered at the hands of others, the strain of espionage, where one little slip could destroy everything you'd worked for, or the chilling feeling of taking someone's life for no other reason than that you'd been ordered to do so.

So, he wasn't quite sure what it was, but there was something about the other blonde that he found he liked. He held himself with the utmost confidence, and his almost suave attitude was a never ending amusement to Naruto. The more they talked as Draco began his own workout routine the more the other grew on him until they were chatting like good friends.

"So, explain to me again this game? Do you really fly on broomsticks?"

Draco chuckled at the rather childlike amazement in Hisoka's voice. "You really know nothing about Quidditch? Pardon my asking, but are you a Muggle-born?" None of the usual rudeness that often accompanied such a question permeated his voice, nor the even brutish word Mudblood that he usually branded Granger with. He saw no need for it; the other's possible social standing was cast aside for his amiable nature and easy laugh and talk. Draco found that he quite enjoyed the other boy's company and saw no need to sully their conversation with petty blood squabbles.

Hisoka's eyebrow arched, the term ringing bells in his mind as he tried to place its meaning. After a beat of silence he recalled what Dumbly had told him, briefly, of the blood lineages of wizards. He could already tell from the looks of Draco's aristocratic face that the fact that he wasn't even a wizard probably wouldn't go down very well. He laughed it off, hand coming up to scratch behind his ears.

"Nah, my parents were both of our kind." He conveniently left out the fact that by "our kind" he meant shinobi, not wizards. But he had the distinct feeling that the revealing of his shinobi self would more than likely earn him some raised eyebrows and weird looks from the inhabitants of Hogwarts. Draco sent him a quizzical look though, the question clear in his eyes.

"My parents died when I was a baby, and I was sent to live with very distant relations, we didn't have Quidditch there." The story sounded feeble to even his own ears, but he felt relief none the less when Draco merely nodded his acceptance of his story.

Silence hung between them for awhile as Draco finished his exercises, the blonde going through sets of push-ups and sit-ups without trouble, though the beginning sheens of sweat were already coursing their way over him. He finished off with a last set of stretches before he rose gracefully from the ground.

"Shall we get some breakfast then?"

Naruto smiled and nodded eagerly, hand whipping out and latching onto the other's arm.

"I hope they have ramen this early!"

By the time they'd made it to the more populated halls, Naruto had released his dragging hold on the blonde, instead choosing to walk and talk as much as possible, asking questions about the castle, the houses, the grounds, and especially the small village that rested below them.

"Oh, yes, that's Hogsmeade, one of the few completely wizarding villages around. They have this amazing sweet shop called Honeydukes; they have almost any candy you could imagine and more." Naruto's eyes almost bugged out as he listened to Draco list some of the most savory sounding candy he'd ever heard of. He could already feel his stomach growling in want of sugary goodness.

'Damn, I hope I get to go there before I leave.' The thought of missing out on such a candy filled endeavor was crushing.

To anyone else, their conversation would seem harmless, inane, but to Naruto it was much more important. Especially as Draco pointed out entrances and exits, explained the wards that surrounded the castle, and spoke about curfews and certain rooms that came to existence when needed. Oh yes, if there was one thing that he'd been unexpectedly good at, it was gathering information. He smiled a big, goofy smile as Draco went on to explain a certain forest and its many creatures.

* * *

_Location: Unknown_

He idly twirled his wand in hand, the slender piece of wood pointing to and fro throughout the room, his followers shifting nervously every time it so much as landed in their direction. A cruel smile curled his lips. Good, fear was good, dogs should fear their masters. However, to his ire, one stood completely unaffected by his presence, an almost bored look on their face. He stood calmly in the center of the room, posture relaxed and eyes focused unflinchingly on the Dark Lord. Just the sight of him set Voldemort's teeth on an annoyed edge.

"Do you understand your objective then?"

"Hn." If it could be said for someone to be uninterestedly examining their nails without even looking at them, then the infuriating raven before him was definitely doing so.

"Now, now Sasuke, is that anyway to answer our new ally?" The disgustingly smooth voice of the man rang through the circle. Effortlessly, he stepped forward, breaking the circle of Death Eaters without concern. His slanted yellow eyes fell tauntingly onto Voldemort and he felt his hand unconsciously tighten around his wand in fury. The two men who greatly resembled snakes regarded each other, before Orochimaru looked away and to his apprentice.

"I expect you to be much more polite in the future, especially while I'm away. We wouldn't want our new friends to think us ungrateful for their alliance now would we?" His tongue slid out, grotesquely long as it slithered across Sasuke's cheek. He remained unaffected though, not even a flicker of emotion flashing through his eyes.

"Of course Orochimaru-sama."

* * *

**Ahh a new chapter at last, also as a note on the last chapter I'd put a mark on Professor Sang's name and didn't explain it at the end; all I was going to say was that it was pronounced as Shang. Silly me, I completely forgot about it.**

**So, tata 'til next time, be sure to read and review.-Cherry**


	12. Chapter 12

**It gets a tad angsty in this chapter, so be prepared for that. Also in regards to time, it's been several weeks since the confrontation/transformation of Naruto in the Forbidden Forest. Chapter 11 was the morning of the first official day of school, but we're fast forwarding a tad to the next week or so.**

**Once again, thanks so much to my reviewers and those who read my story simply for the joy of it. **

**Disclaimer: Again if I owned either, they would most certainly not be fit for TV. : 3 **

**Now, on with the show.**

Chapter 12: Ghost Town

_The sky dripped and dazzled with dappled starlight, their twinkling forms skimming off the surface of the water in peaceful rays. They shone merrily down on the far Earth, safe in the sanctity of their twilight bound home seemingly a world away. He used to love watching the skies when he'd been younger, found a comfort in their silent watch. He'd sit on lush roves of rolling grass that seemed to stretch for miles, contentedly gazing upward on what he'd thought at the time were quiet, shimmering all-seeing guardians. _

_Every day, he came early before the first of the effervescent lights were out, he'd sit in wait of that first appearance, the words of a poem that Iruka had taught him sitting in wait on his tongue._

"_Star light, star bright_

_First star I see tonight_

_I wish I may, I wish I might_

_Have the wish I wish tonight."_

_And he'd close his eyes tight and wish with every fiber of his young body for someone to acknowledge him, to look at him with the pride that only a true loved one could provide, for a friend who would gladly eat ramen with him, who would explore the far reaches of the seemingly limitless forest that surrounded their village with him, and to merely sit content and happy with him forever._

_And each and every night, he tried to wish a little harder. _

_However, as night crept upon him now, he didn't look to them for comfort. He ignored their light dancing on the surface of the sea he stood on, avoided the blinking comfort they tried to offer, and turned his back on any thoughts of fruitless wishing. For now, his attention lay only on the eyes that used to remind him of a dark, starless sky when they'd been twelve and still made his heart sting with a forgotten, unreachable joy that sang a brittle song in his chest._

_He stood across from him, poised almost delicately on the rocks that lined the shore, his face blank and eyes shining dull in the moonlight. For the longest moment, Naruto felt the air slip from his lungs, wisp into invisible tendrils of life, and slip into the atmosphere to never be taken again. _

_He inhaled and they moved._

_Sasuke shot across the water, waves rushing and crashing as he and Naruto met halfway, blades poised against each other, eyes drawn sharply together as they pressed against the other. They leapt apart with a cling of metal, ending up on opposite ends of the shore. Water, salty smooth and clinging, swept against their ankles with futile hopes of calming their human storm and receding as they saw that their efforts gained them nothing. _

_Naruto felt the crushing in his heart, that hard, grasping hand that reach in and yanked and yanked until his heart took refuge in his throat and beat and swelled until he felt like his lungs might very well collapse from their overwhelming need for air. Sasuke didn't move, a thin line of blood appearing on his cheek, its mirror image sliding across Naruto's as well. The thin lines of blood seemed to trickle down both their cheeks in unison, dripping down their chins and mixing with the salty earth beneath them. And then he blinked and straightened, his blade sliding back into its sheath, black eyes focused and mocking on the blonde. Naruto felt a cringe in his chest as those eyes pierced him, as though they were saying that he wasn't worth the time or the effort to continue such a fight. _

_Across from him the boy, the man, he'd called friend, whom he'd spent all of his hope looking for, walked away, taking his heart and trampling his hope along the way._

* * *

He woke with a start, hand reaching up to his chest, clutching for the strong pounding of his heart. The rustle of trees provided him with a fake sense of tranquility, cooling the cold sweat that beaded on his forehead. The lapping of the lake's waves was an assault on his ears, to reminiscent of the rolling waves where he'd last seen his wayward teammate. Just the thought of the raven haired Sound-nin brought an ache to his eyes, and a rasping to his chest and throat that couldn't be quenched by even the deepest of breaths.

An errant breeze stroked his cheeks and he leaned into it, letting it wash over him in a comforting chill. Remnants of the dream still swam before his eyes, and with a great sigh he hefted himself from his grassy perch, mechanically sweeping dirt from his person. The dreams plagued him more and more as of late, whispering fragments of Sasuke, of his greatest failure, his broken promise, forever taunting him with his own shortcomings and weakness. His fingers curled into fists, and he was ashamed to realize that he was shaking with a myriad of emotions he wasn't sure how to tame. They curled and twisted around his chest, slithering into his heart with a poison more deadly than Tsunade's most potent drugs.

The short breeze brought with it more than nature's comfort, and on the wind he could hear the sound of conversation drifting his way, a conversation that was hushed and almost furious sounding. The wind rustled, carrying on it a poignant scent of books, parchment, and oddly enough vanilla mint toothpaste. He leaned casually against the tree, folding his arms and taking on a look of pleasant surprise at the approach of the curly-haired girl he'd met briefly at Grimwauld Place known as Hermione Granger. Oddly, her usual company, Harry and the redheaded Ron, were nowhere to be seen. Even odder was the fact that the conversation he'd overheard seemed to be taking place between her and herself. Things got even more curious as his sharp eyes caught the sight of her flushed face, heaving chest and heavy breathing. She continued his way, not even registering his presence until he waved a hand into her still moving face. With an undignified squawk she reeled back eyes shooting to his face in surprise.

"Hisoka!"

"Ah, hello Hermione-chan, I'm sorry to have interrupted the riveting conversation you were having with yourself, but you were about to walk into the lake."

If possible, her face flushed further in embarrassment. She regained herself though, coughing and straightening out her uncharacteristically ruffled clothing, running her hand through her hair self-consciously. "I apologize Hisoka, my mind was elsewhere." Naruto chuckled. "I noticed." Silence hung in the air between them, and Naruto struggled for something to say.

"So what brings you out here? Shouldn't you be in class or something?" He noticed the way her eyes immediately flashed guiltily and how her hands nervously clutched at the books in her arms. A sudden thought occurred to him and he winked at her waggling his eyebrows.

"Has someone been skipping class? Tsk, tsk Ms. Granger." Her mouth flew open in indignation, ready to refute him he was sure, before it snapped back closed and the guilty look totally consumed her face. He let out a hearty laugh at her expense. "Don't worry; your secret is safe with me." To exaggerate his point he mimed zipping his mouth closed and throwing away the key. She huffed, her face still colored in embarrassment.

"I…normally don't do things like this…" The way her voice trailed off self-consciously made his chuckles subside and he trained gentle eyes on her. "Hey now, it's nothing to get all upset over, I used to skip class all the time. In fact, on more than one occasion my teacher had to literally drag me back to class!" The admission, while not wiping the low look from her eyes, did make her lips quirk in amusement.

"So, how about I challenge you to a rock skipping contest hmm, unless of course you have more classes to skip?"

As Hermione nodded her consent and followed him further toward the banks of the lake, a flash of silver caught his eye. Employing the trick of looking without seeming to look, he caught a rather good sight of one Draco Malfoy shuffling from the same direction Hermione had in a similar state of dishevelment.

Saying nothing he turned back to the girl, picking up a smooth, flat stone from the bank.

* * *

The town, so far, had given them no leads to follow. The circle of stones that had brought them there had been drenched in that magic that they knew to associate with the abductors, however once arriving in the town, the trail had literally gone cold, diminishing in the throng of the non-magical people who inhabited it. Neji turned to Gaara, ready to tell the other of the lost trail, when the narrowing of the other's eyes stopped him.

"There."

He turned instantly in the direction of Gaara's eyes and was met with nothing but thin air. His eyes squinted and the air shimmered. His eyes activated and the air blurred and realigned itself into the form of a hunched over man who strongly resembled a basset hound. They slinked their way through the crowd towards the slouching man as he shuffled his way toward the road leading out of town. As they neared they slowed down their swift walking to a casual pace, pretending to pick disinterestedly through a rack of postcards. The man continued to move, unknowingly leading them toward his destination. They watched as he entered a dirty alley and Neji watched as he picked up an old, broken bottle. His brow knitted together in bewilderment; the bottle was radiating the same kind of odd magical signature as the stones had. He motioned to Gaara and they crept toward the alley, blending in with its dank darkness with ease.

By now the aura the bottle was emitting was practically tangible to the shinobi. Neji swept his eyes to Gaara and together they moved even close, kunai seamlessly appearing in the Hyuuga's hand and sand shuffling silently toward the man. The sand swirled and knotted, its edges evening out and forming a ball.

Gaara's eye nestled itself into the dirty folds of the man's cloak, giving him an up close view of the bottle and its holder. However, before he could sum up his view, the man warped out of sight. Gaara cringed, swaying back, hand flitting to his eye, hissing like an angry cat. His body remained tense, expression nauseous as he attempted to find the words of what he was seeing. Suddenly, he staggered, falling to one knee as his hand began to spasm even more violently over his eye. Neji knelt beside him, only the barest of space separating them as he hovered beside the disguised redhead. Finally, whatever it was stopped, leaving him with harshly controlled breathing and a cold sweat beading his forehead as he struggled to right himself and maintain his stoic expression.

"What did you see?" Gaara didn't reply at once, his face contorting in distaste before speaking.

"Have you ever taken psychedelic drugs?"

* * *

He didn't like this place at all. The walls echoed with nothing but emptiness and were shrouded in a cold mist that continually crept into his body. While Orochimaru's base was no better it had the added advantage of familiarity. But the man who called himself the Dark Lord had no such thing in this sad excuse for a home. The manor also bore too much resemblance to a place that had once been his home, a place that had been equally cold and devoid of life. But Sasuke Uchiha was above wallowing over such things and he immediately cast such thoughts aside.

He also despised the man who insisted on being called Voldemort. He was a worm, a pathetic creature with even more pathetic goals in Sasuke's eyes. If it weren't for that fact that Orochimaru was adamant about this alliance he would have gladly run the man through his sickeningly white chest.

The only place of solace he found was outside in the adjoining graveyard. He found the silent graves morbidly soothing, the creeping mist nothing to shudder at, and the distinct lack of Voldemort or any of his cronies was particularly attractive. However unfortunately, today was not one of those days where he could find escape among the dead, and he found himself with the uninteresting task of sitting in on one of Voldemort's many unnecessary meetings. He sat there, merely taking up space and idly twirling a kunai, taking silent satisfaction from the occasional nervous glances the man's lackeys sent him. The man himself sat proudly erect in a high backed chair, his prized serpent curled across his shoulders and hissing occasionally at his followers. Sasuke would have chuckled at the snakes less than savory comments if a certain name hadn't stopped his hand mid-twirl.

_Thunk._

The kunai sank deep into the polished wood of the table, Sasuke's twisted face reflecting on it in a snarl.

"What did you say?"

Silence born from his unexpected outburst rang amongst the group and Voldemort's face had taken on an uncharacteristic smile. The sight of the snake-faced man looking at him with such an expression grated on his nerves and he could feel the red of the Sharingan bleeding into his eyes. With a hiss he hurriedly deactivated them and cursed his lack of control.

But then again, he'd always lacked control when it came to Naruto.

His temper felt tightly curled up, like a snake ready to strike out, and he barely kept it back as Voldemort merely continued to look smugly at him.

"We had the pleasure of hosting your ah, _acquaintance _with us for a time. Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen meddling, he left our keeping only a few short weeks ago. It was my hope that you and your master would help in his retrieval."

"Orochimaru knew of this?" The words barely made it passed his lips they were pursed so tightly. Voldemort's barely visible eyebrows rose smoothly in what could only be described as glee.

"Why of course, it was one of the terms in our agreement."

The anger lashed through him visibly and it was with great self-restraint that he didn't merely lunge across the table and swipe the kunai through that pale, unprotected throat. With his constraint tightly in place he stood from table, effortlessly pulling his kunai from the table and stalked from the room.

As he proceeded through the hallways the venom of anger slid through his veins, igniting his blood like hot lead, a monster uncurling in his chest and snarling with uncontrollable hate. With a snarl his fist flew forward, smashing into the wall beside him, the stone crunching and crumbling beneath his powerful knuckles. He stood there for what felt like immeasurable moments, nothing but Voldemort's words coursing through his ears, and hot shame flushed across his features and he growled as he reflected on his utter loss of control. Even when they were separated by countless miles, that blonde-headed idiot still managed to make him lose his cool. A red film of anger washed over his eyes and he continued walking the empty hall, his anger exuding itself in waves. He entered the room he'd been given when he and Orochimaru had arrived, and he didn't bother to flick on the lights. He didn't want to see the disgusting extravagance of the room, and instead he sunk onto the overstuffed mattress without a sound, his hands curling sharply into the plush sheets.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there consumed in the dark, the only break from silence the gentle flutter of the curtains when the occasional breeze passed through the window. But when he stood, he stood with purpose in his eyes.

Eyes that bled red with the worst of his intentions.

* * *

Naruto whistled merrily as he jostled his way through the crowded halls of Hogwarts with Hermione in tow behind him. The bushy-haired girl had lightened up considerably after besting the blonde in their rock skipping contest and was now chatting amicably about all the classes she was taking and the books required for each one.

Hermione trailed off in her speech as she noticed that Hisoka was barely paying attention, but instead of the usual annoyance that accompanied such action, she only felt a fond exasperation. She simply couldn't bring herself to be cross with the cheery blonde. Speaking of blondes, a flash of platinum blonde hair streaked across her vision, and she skittered to a stop when she realized not only to whom it belonged to, but that they were heading straight for her and Hisoka. Hisoka, noticing her sudden stop turned to her inquisitively and raised an eyebrow in question. But before she could respond, Malfoy did it for her.

"Hello Hisoka," his eyes flashed to her for the barest of seconds before returning to Hisoka, "Heading to the Great Hall?" Hisoka shook his head, and Hermione could see the cogs in his head literally turning and panic gripped her chest. "Actually, I was just escorting Hermione here to the library; she said she wanted to show me a few books she thought I'd like to read." Hermione tried not to gape, because they had in fact been going to the Great Hall for dinner, and she couldn't fathom his sudden lie. Once again Malfoy's eyes flickered to her, but this time instead of leaving right away, they lingered and she shifted uncomfortably. "I see," Malfoy said slowly, an odd glint coming to his eye that made her nervous, "well, once you finish I would enjoy having dinner with you, so just meet me in the Hall afterwards." Hisoka nodded his consent and they parted ways, walking aimlessly down the hall for a few minutes before he stopped.

"So, right, where IS the library exactly?"

This time Hermione couldn't hold back her stare of incredulity and she soundlessly pushed him in the right direction.

* * *

**ok...so it's been a disgustingly long time since I've updated, but fret not, I don't intend to take such a long hiatus again. -Cherry**


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